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International Area Studies Review
[ Article ]
International Area Studies Review - Vol. 29, No. 1, pp.18-40
ISSN: 2233-8659 (Print)
Print publication date 31 Mar 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.69473/iasr.2026.29.1.18

Does Bilateral Meeting-related Information Reflect Foreign Policy? The Case of Indonesia under the Jokowi Administration

Ali Maksum* ; Mohammad Reevany Bustami
Master of International Relations Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) Universiti Sains Malaysia

Correspondence to: *Email: ali.maksum@fisipol.umy.ac.id

Abstract

Bilateral meetings are often seen as indicative of a country’s foreign policy direction. This study investigates whether the frequency and content of President Joko Widodo’s bilateral meetings align with Indonesia’s broader foreign policy agenda. Employing an information dissemination approach, the research analyses content from the State Secretariat of the Republic of Indonesia official website (https://www.setneg.go.id), a relatively understudied source, using content analysis supported by NVivo. The findings reveal a disconnect between publicised diplomatic engagements and key policy narratives. While Jokowi frequently emphasises infrastructure development in public speeches, bilateral meetings are predominantly framed around commerce and industry. Additionally, Indonesia’s most frequent meeting partners, such as Australia and Vietnam, differ from its key trade partners like China, the United States, and Japan. These discrepancies suggest that the state’s official communication does not fully reflect substantive foreign policy priorities. This study contributes a novel perspective to the study of Indonesian foreign policy by focusing on state-led information flows and issue mapping. It concludes with policy recommendations aimed at improving transparency and coherence in foreign policy communication.

Keywords:

Bilateral meeting, Foreign policy, Information, Indonesia, Jokowi

Acknowledgement

The authors sincerely express their gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia for supporting this research. We also extend our appreciation to Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta for its valuable institutional support, which has been essential to the success of this project.

AI Acknowledgment

Generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were not used in any way to prepare, write, or complete essential authoring tasks in this manuscript.

Data Availability Statement

The data supporting the findings of this study can be obtained from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The dataset is derived from publicly available materials on the official website of the Indonesian State Secretariat (https://www.setneg.go.id). These data were systematically collected, archived, and analysed using NVivo software. Due to limitations related to data size and formatting, the dataset is not deposited in a public repository, but it can be shared in accordance with ethical standards and appropriate usage guidelines.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that no conflict of interest exist in relation to this publication.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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