This thesis is an attempt to assess Indonesia’s energy policies developed so far to advance Indonesia’s energy security. As described in Chapter III that Indonesia’s energy polices starting from the energy law 2007 have provided sufficient framework for Indonesia to secure its energy. However, energy security as reflected in Indonesia’s energy policies is considered low politics. It is yet to become central in Indonesia’s national security and foreign policy. Indonesia’s energy security is viewed only as an economic factor to support national development objective but it is not indispensable to the survival of the nation. Indonesia does not view energy security as a matter of national security. That view is clearly manifested in Indonesia’s energy diplomacy towards China. By examining the energy factor in Indonesia-China relation from 2002–2015, the author concludes that Indonesia’s energy diplomacy towards China is defined as low politics where representation is led by a technical-sectoral ministry (ministry of energy and mineral resources) as opposed to a strategic ministry. Key ministry in Indonesia’s diplomacy - ministry of foreign affairs also plays minority role in Indonesia-China Energy Forum. Indonesia’s main interest in the energy cooperation within this timeframe is to export energy sources such as coal and LNG to China to obtain revenues, foreign exchange reserve and only recently attract investment into the energy related infrastructure. However, the main driver of Indonesia’s energy relation to China is economic via trade and investment. The role of the state to advance Indonesia’s energy security in the context of international relations is not coherent and unclear. This stands in contrast with China which views energy security as strategic and a matter of national security. This view is manifested in China’s representation in Indonesia-China Energy Forum. Chinese government is led by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) with the support from the ministry of foreign affairs and ministry of commerce as well as state owned banks. The expansion of China’s National Oil Companies overseas including into Indonesia to secure energy supply is also fully supported by the Chinese government through financing and high level diplomacy. China therefore views energy diplomacy as high politics. This thesis suggests that given the change in Indonesia’s energy landscape - higher energy demand but lower domestic energy supply, shift from oil exporter to a net oil importer, declining of coal demand in the international market and potentially lower investment in coal projects, and limited investment into the renewables - Indonesia can learn from China and other countries to upgrade its energy diplomacy from low to high politics. It means that the government should revisit its energy policies and institutional arrangements and making energy security central in Indonesia’s foreign policy and national security

Key Words : Energy Security, Energy Diplomacy, High Politics, Low Politics, China, Indonesia