Indonesian President Joko Widodo has joined Anthony Albanese to strongly deplore Russia’s war against Ukraine and, in a message aimed at China, declared support for a region “free from coercion”.

In an unusually strongly worded communiqué from Jakarta’s perspective, the two leaders stressed respect for international rules and the “importance of diplomacy to avoid the risks of miscalculation”, amid growing anxiety over Beijing’s behaviour and the threat of conflict with the US.