This paper proposes elevating trade diplomacy as a core pillar of Indonesia's Pacific strategy to strengthen influence and trust amid intensifying geopolitical competition with implications for Papua-related narratives. Although Indonesia has built strong diplomatic goodwill through development cooperation, its trade presence in the Pacific—particularly in Melanesia—lags behind key partners…
This paper examines Indonesia's international development cooperation as a diplomatic instrument to enhance presence and engagement with Pacific countries, focusing on grant-funded infrastructure projects. Data from 2019–2025 shows steady growth in both value and number of Indonesia's grant projects in the Pacific, with infrastructure accounting for 68.3% of total grant value allocated to the…