China Drives Indonesia’s Push for Clean Energy and More Coal

China sits at the heart of Indonesia’s energy paradox — driving the country’s ambitious shift toward renewables while remaining deeply entrenched in its coal economy. Chinese financing and technology are accelerating Indonesia’s clean energy buildout, from nickel refining to electric vehicles ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

How to Lure Chinese Financing Back to the Global South: Report

Global South countries face increasing financing pressure, endangering their ability to keep developing while also implementing measures to deal with a growing climate crisis. The disruption of global trade is coupled with a larger megatrend: flows of international capital to the developing world have turned negative. This means that countries are now routinely paying more to service loans than they receive in disbursements.

The vast majority of Global South borrowers ...

Myanmar Junta Recaptures Town on China Trade Rout

Myanmar's ruling junta said Saturday that it had recaptured a town on a trade highway to China from an ethnic armed group in the country's war-wracked north. Following a 16-day operation, "on 16 October, Tatmadaw reoccupied Hsipaw completely," the state-run Global ...

Indonesia Confirmed 42 Chinese J-10C Jets Buy in $9 Billion Deal

Indonesia confirmed the purchase of 42 Chinese-made J-10C “Vigorous Dragon” fighter jets, ending months of speculation about the deal. “They will be flying over Jakarta soon,” Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said Wednesday at the ministry’s headquarters, announcing the agreement reached ...

Cambodia’s Prince Group, Target of U.S. and UK Sanctions

U.S. and UK authorities unveiled sanctions this week against Chen Zhi, a British-Cambodian tycoon accused of running cyberscam operations where workers, some trafficked, carry out transnational fraud schemes that have netted billions of dollars. AFP takes a look at the man, ...

Indonesia Deepens Ties With China to Grow $3 Trillion Halal Market

Indonesia is strengthening its position as a global center for halal business, a market currently worth $3 trillion and projected to reach $4.5 trillion by 2030. Halal refers to products and practices that comply with Islamic law, including food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and financial services, ensuring they ...

China Exiles in Thailand Lose Hope, Fearing Beijing’s Long Reach

With tears rolling down his cheeks, detained Chinese political exile Zhou Junyi struggles to make his voice heard over dozens of families visiting Bangkok's main immigration detention center. Zhou's China Democracy Party, an exile group, organized a commemoration on June 4 ...

Indonesia Lifts TikTok License Suspension as App Shares Data

Indonesia lifted its suspension of TikTok's local operating license after the social media platform shared data requested by the government about recent protests, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said. Indonesia has the second-largest audience on TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, ...

Indonesia Suspends TikTok License Over Failure to Share Data

Indonesia's government has suspended the operating licence of video-sharing app TikTok because the platform refused to share data about recent anti-government protests, the Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs said on Friday. Indonesia has the second-largest audience on TikTok, owned by ...

China Sentences 16 Myanmar-Linked Gang Members to Death

A Chinese court sentenced to death on Monday 16 members of a family-run criminal gang that established deadly scam centers in Myanmar's Kokang region on the border with China, among other crimes. Scam compounds have flourished in Myanmar's lawless borderlands, staffed ...

Indonesia Fines TikTok Over Late Tokopedia Acquisition Notice

Indonesia's antitrust agency has fined TikTok $900,000 for failing to notify regulators in time about its acquisition of e-commerce platform Tokopedia, an official said on Monday. TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, completed an $840 million deal in January 2024 to acquire ...

Singapore Denies Entry to HK Activist, Citing ‘National Interests’

Singapore said Monday it had refused entry to Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law over the weekend as his presence would not be in the city-state's "national interests". The activist, who holds a UK refugee travel document, told AFP that he ...

Indonesia Prepares for Pivotal Talks on Expanding China-Financed ‘Whoosh’ High-Speed Railway

When the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, known as the Whoosh, opened in October 2023, it quickly drew scrutiny. China provided billions in loans, KCIC—the China-Indonesia joint venture operating the line—reported losses, and parent companies like the state-owned PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) absorbed significant deficits. Critics ...

Indonesia’s Infrastructure Minister Beijing Visit: Key Takeaways

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), Indonesia’s coordinating minister for infrastructure, traveled to Beijing in late August to meet President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials. The visit, carried out on behalf of President Prabowo Subianto, was focused on sustaining Indonesia–China dialogue on strategic infrastructure.  ...
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