US approves major $14 billion arms sale to Indonesia

By MATTHEW LEE
AP Diplomatic Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has approved a nearly $14 billion arms sale to Indonesia as the U.S. presses ahead with steps it believes will help counter China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. The State Department announced the $13.9 billion sale of advanced fighter jets on Thursday while Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Australia. That visit is also intended to underscore the U.S. determination not to allow China free rein in the Pacific even as developments between Russia and Ukraine demand attention. The sale to Indonesia of up to 36 F-15 fighter jets and related equipment, including munitions and communications systems, follows a mid-December trip to Jakarta by Blinken.