When it comes to ambitious countries, Japan must be the first thing that pops up in everyone's mind.
Now, near the equator, Indonesia, known as the "country of thousands of islands", is quietly rising.
Its hand holds 360,000 sharps, is still the world's fourth largest population, and its ambitions can be compared to Japan.
So, what kind of country is Indonesia, and how strong is its combined power?
Indonesia is located on the Southeast Asian equator with more than 17,000 islands and is the largest archipelago country in the world.
Its location is very special, sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, guarding the important world-class waterways such as the Strait of Malacca and sunda strait.
How much oil and how many goods pass through these waterways every day? It can be said, who controls here, who has great power of speech in international trade.
Indonesia is stuck at this juncture, and it can make a lot of money just by collecting tolls and engaging in port services.
But the geographical location is too good, sometimes not all is good.
Because of its important position, Indonesia has been targeted by foreign powers in history. From the Dutch colonization for more than 300 years to the Japanese occupation in World War II, this land has never been really peaceful.
It is precisely because of these experiences that Indonesians have planted a strong sense of autonomy and resistance in their bones- “Only you are strong, and you will not be stabbed in the neck by anyone else.”
After independence in 1945, Indonesia attached great importance to national defense independence, and worked hard to build an army and engage in military industry, but it just didn't want to look at other people's faces and live.
Now, so many years have passed, at the beginning, that bite tooth self-strengthening head, now has solidified the entity now on its comprehensive national strength.
Now, Indonesia's biggest capital is people- With a population of 270 million, it ranks fourth in the world, second only to China, India and the United States.
More importantly, these people are young, the average age is only 30 years old, which is the golden stage of being able and able to consume.
Walking in Jakarta, the water of these large cities, the streets are full of young people, the shopping malls are crowded, the office buildings, the technology parks, the cafes are all busy and full of faces.
As this momentum develops, the number of middle-class people is expected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2030 – so many people’s consumer needs are stacked together and the energy is stunning.
Militarily, it should not be underestimated. Indonesia has 360,000 regular troops, of which the army is the largest, with a full 300,000 troops, and the navy and air force each have 30,000 troops.
In recent years, they have invested a lot in armaments. The Navy has successively purchased new frigates and submarines. The Air Force not only purchased Russian Su-30s, but also introduced American F-16 fighters.
Recently, they are still talking with France about orders for "Rafale" fighter jets, obviously in order to further improve air combat capabilities.
After all, Indonesia has so many islands, such a long coastline, and key waterways such as the Strait of Malacca, which can't be guarded without a decent navy.
In addition to the active force, Indonesia alsoins a considerable reserve force, which can mobilize hundreds of thousands in a short time if something happens.
From an economic point of view, Indonesia is no longer the country we think is only selling resources.
It is the largest economy in Southeast Asia, with GDP surpassing $1 trillion, entering the top 20 globally.
Previously, it relied on the export of coal, palm oil, rubber and these raw materials, but now the manufacturing industry is becoming stronger and stronger, electronics, auto parts, mechanical equipment are becoming more and more mature, and many large international enterprises, such as Toyota, Samsung, Modern, have gone to Indonesia to build factories.
President Zuko is very visionary, he knows that he can not sell raw materials for a lifetime, so these years have vigorously promoted the construction of infrastructure, cross-sea bridges, deep water ports, highways, high-speed railways ...
The whole country is like a big construction site, and everywhere is in full swing.
As for the high-speed railway, before it took half a day to turn from Jakarta to Vancouver, and now the high-speed railway takes less than an hour, this change is simply overwhelming.
On the international stage, Indonesia is also increasingly playing.
It is the core founding country of ASEAN and speaks a lot in Southeast Asia.More importantly, itins good relations with all of these major countries, no one is easily guilty, and cooperation and investment can be obtained from all sides.
This “balanced diplomacy” has allowed it to remain independent and actually benefit.Indonesia is also frequently participating in UN peacekeeping missions, and international audiences are becoming increasingly loud – clearly to expand its influence.
Overall, Indonesia is indeed rising rapidly, requiring people to have land, to have money, to have guns and guns.
Its ambition is not as flamboyant as Japan's, but to develop its strength in a down-to-earth manner and expand its influence step by step.
Controlling important waterways, holding heavy troops, booming economy and young population structure, these advantages together make Indonesia an important force that cannot be ignored in Southeast Asia and even the whole world.
In the coming decades, the country of the thousand islands on the equator is likely to bring us more surprises.
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