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ccording to Indonesian tradition, polite guests are naturally expected to bring some nice oleh-oleh (gift) to their host, who in return will treat their guest with the utmost hospitality. When these two conditions are met, a very productive encounter that satisfies both sides will occur.

Such, however, was apparently not the case when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Indonesia to meet President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Sunday. At least judging from their joint press conference at the Bogor State Palace, it was hard to find a concrete outcome from their bilateral summit. Abe did not offer anything new and Jokowi did not have much for Japan either.

Amid a declining trend in their bilateral ties, especially in terms of trade and investment, the two leaders simply reaffirmed their commitment to boosting economic and business activities between the two countries. Indonesia renewed its call for Japan to be more open to Indonesian exports.

How could this happen? Was it because of serious problems in their relationship? Or was it because they know each other so well and because the two leaders have met four times since 2014?

The answer is probably a combination of the two. Relations between the two nations are so mature that they find it difficult to create breakthroughs. Indonesia is now much less dependent on Japan’s yen loans and exports because China has taken over Japan’s role in many fields.

From the Indonesian perspective, Japan tends to treat Indonesia as a market, but is less generous in opening its domestic market to Indonesia. Japan on the other hand has often complained that it has done so much for Indonesia but gained little appreciation from its Southeast Asian partner.

“Indonesia has asked Japan to open access for Indonesia’s agricultural and fishery products,” Jokowi told the press conference. This dispute has lasted for decades.

“Japan will cooperate in the railway and electricity sectors, among others, through the development of high-quality infrastructure that continues to be Japan’s strength,” PM Abe noted. Last year Japan was disappointed with Indonesia’s “unfair” appointment of China to build the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.

Like many other countries, Indonesia is tilting toward China, with which Japan fiercely competes. Indonesia knows, however, it needs Japan not only economically, but also in regional security terms. With Indonesia to a certain extent showing hostility to rising China, Japan is among the few countries that can play a deterrent role vis-à-vis the world’s second-largest economy.

Japan will need to shift to soft power diplomacy in dealing with its neighbors, including Indonesia, after so many years putting too much emphasis on economic issues. In the case of Indonesia, Japan is very reluctant to open its market not just for fisheries, but also cheap but quality workers. Japan’s education system is among the best in the world, but few Indonesians pursue higher education there because their degrees often mean little when they work for Japanese companies, which favor natives over foreigners.

We hope that Japan and Indonesia take extra measures to improve their ties for the benefit of both nations.