Jakarta. Defense analyst Connie Rahakundini Bakrie suggests that Indonesia's next president should continue President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's vision of a maritime axis for Indonesia's defense.

"The world maritime axis vision is Jokowi's trademark and should be followed by whoever is elected as the next president," Connie said in a presidential debate discussion on BTV, Sunday.

The Maritime Axis, introduced by Jokowi, is a strategic concept aimed at harnessing Indonesia's maritime potential as a driver for economic and defense development.

Connie said the next Indonesian leader should be vigilant about existing regional and global threats, particularly concerning the escalating tensions between the United States and China.

"There are many aspects that we need to strengthen, including regional threats and the potential spill-over impact of global situations, which inevitably will affect us," Connie said.

She underlined the importance of the world maritime axis, incorporating both Air Force and Army capabilities that can be deployed beyond Indonesia's borders.

Based on forecasts by the National Resilience Institute (Lemhannas), Connie emphasized the likelihood of a Pacific conflict in 2035. Consequently, she urged the next Indonesian leader to prepare the nation's defense thoroughly.

"We need to expedite the development of capabilities to address the spill-over effects of such a war. While we may not directly engage in conflict with China or the United States, the spill-over effects can impact us. Learning from World War II, Indonesia could be swiftly occupied by a foreign force, as Japan did. Therefore, we must be prepared," she said.

The third presidential debate for the 2024 Presidential Election on Sunday focused on defense, security, international relations, and geopolitics. The General Election Commission (KPU) has set five presidential and vice-presidential debate sessions for the 2024 Presidential Election, taking place during the campaign period from Nov. 28, 2023, to Feb. 10, 2024.