There's already a very obvious and simple solution : become too big to fail, just like how countries hold back from messing with China and India, simply because they are just too large to be coerced to do their bidding.
I don't think TL is of any significant in strategic value, not in economic value nor as a geographical buffer state, cause we can just go around thru Aru sea anyway. TL is no more than a proxy state now, almost completely dependent on foreign influences, especially from Indonesia and Australia. We could completely eclipsed the Aussies' influence in the East by having 2-3 times larger GDP than them and also having a larger influence and share of their export market, their population will have no choice but to pressure the Aussie government not to anger Indonesia, if they still want their cattle and vegetables having a stable demand. Aussies intervened when they thought they wont lose anything by angering Indonesia, but if angering Indonesia could cost them their economy and diplomatic favors, they wont bother to act like a pahlawan kesiangan anymore.
Anyway, why did a lot of people hyped so much about SG? i don't think they are really that extraordinary or did i miss something? Idk it looked like if the Ottomans got hyped too much about the Venetian, kinda odd for me at least.