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China’s Hainan Islamic Pilgrimage Stopover Reveals Bigger Plans

China is quietly transforming the island of Hainan, located 20 kilometers offshore in the South China Sea, into a strategic transit hub for Muslim pilgrims from Southeast Asia, starting with Indonesian travelers seeking to make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, known as Umrah.

Southeast Asia Digest: Caught Between U.S. Tariff and China Shadow

This is a free preview of the upcoming Southeast Asia Weekly Digest, part of the new CGSP Intelligence service launching in Summer 2025. This week in Tariff Negotiations with the U.S.:

Thailand in Last-Minute U.S. Talks as 36% Tariff Looms

With just days left before the deadline, Thailand is urging the United States to cap new reciprocal tariffs on Thai goods at 10%, as Bangkok races to avoid steep increases that could climb as high as 36%. Thailand’s Finance Minister ...

Indonesia Submits Second U.S. Tariff Offer Amid China Warning

Indonesia has filed a second proposal to the United States Trade Representative in a bid to avert steep reciprocal tariffs threatened by the Trump administration, just days before the July 8 deadline. The decision marks Jakarta’s latest move in a ...

China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming

The United States and China have signed a long-awaited framework agreement aimed at restarting rare earth mineral shipments and easing trade tensions ahead of a critical July tariff deadline, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed this week. The deal, finalized ...

Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors

Indonesia is advancing plans for its first nuclear power plants, with Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) from China and Russia leading the shortlist. Jakarta is drafting new uranium regulations after confirming deposits in West Kalimantan, as it targets reactor deployment by 2030–2032. ...

Singapore PM’s China Visit: U.S. Tariffs Destabilizing Global Trade

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has warned that rising protectionism and unilateral tariffs, particularly those imposed by the United States, are a concern. He warned of the risk of destabilizing global trade and disproportionately harming smaller, export-dependent economies. In an interview ...

Where U.S. Tariff Talks Stand with Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand

The U.S. is ramping up pressure on Southeast Asia to curb the flow of Chinese-made goods rebranded through regional supply chains, with all four key countries scrambling to finalize bilateral concessions ahead of a July 8 tariff decision. Vietnam and ...

U.S. Tariff Pressure Mounts as China Exports Hit Southeast Asia

The United States is pressuring Vietnam to reduce reliance on Chinese technology in its exports to the U.S. market ahead of a July 8 tariff deadline, as redirected Chinese goods flood Southeast Asia and drive record trade deficits across the region, and fuel both internal economic pressures ...

EV Overtake Hybrids in Indonesia, Car Market Shrinks 15% in May

Indonesia’s car market shrank sharply in May, with wholesale vehicle sales plunging 15.1% year-on-year, as high borrowing costs, weak consumer sentiment, and sluggish wage growth continued to weigh on Southeast Asia’s largest automotive economy. Yet amid the broader contraction, one ...

China Backed Bali MRT Goes Underground for Tradition

Bali’s first-ever subway project is moving closer to reality, with officials favoring underground tunnels over elevated tracks to respect the island’s religious and cultural landscape. The $20 billion plan is being developed in partnership with China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) ...

Vietnam Joins BRICS as Tenth Partner Country

Vietnam has been admitted as a partner country of the BRICS group, according to the Government of Brazil on Friday, which holds the 2025 rotating BRICS chair. The Brazilian foreign ministry said, "Vietnam becomes the tenth BRICS partner country, alongside ...
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