JAKARTA — U. S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Thursday his administration wants fairer trade
with Indonesia, as Washington reviews a number of countries with which it has trade deficits.
Widodo said at the joint news conference with Pence
that the two countries would "increase the strategic partnership... which will focus on cooperation and investments".
After meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Pence said Washington was
interested in a "win-win relationship" with Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
However, billionaire investor Carl Icahn, Freeport’s third-biggest shareholder
and special adviser to U. S. President Donald Trump, has described Jakarta’s tactics over the mining contract as "disingenuous and insulting", according to the New York Times.
Widodo’s approach to foreign policy has been led more by economic interests than geopolitical considerations: he has pursued increased trade and investment from China
but keeps a diplomatic distance from Beijing and established a strategic partnership with Washington under former President Barack Obama.