Category: Southeast Asia

Indonesia and China’s Battery Alliance Must Be Built on Sustainability

In a bold display of ambition and diplomacy, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stood beside Chinese executives last week to break ground on what is touted as Asia’s largest integrated electric vehicle (EV) battery ecosystem. Backed by $5.9 billion in ...

Analysis from Cobus van Staden

China-Led Study Proposes Global Energy Network

A globally connected network of solar and wind energy could provide three times the global energy demand by 2050 at a lower cost than independent national power systems. This is the finding of a study led by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in collaboration with researchers from the United States and Denmark.

The study focused on how areas with high solar and wind capacity (such as deserts) can be linked to ...

Thailand’s Political Crisis Poses Risk to China’s BRI, Warns Scholar

In a recent analysis published by Shanghai-based news outlet The Paper, Yu Haiqiu, a prominent Chinese scholar of Southeast Asian politics, offers a deeper look at the roots and implications of Thailand’s escalating political crisis, focusing on its historical tensions with Cambodia and the fallout for ...

Indonesia Begins $5.9 Billion Chinese EV Battery Project Despite Environment Fears

Indonesia broke ground on Sunday on a $5.9 billion megaproject for EV battery production, backed by the Chinese giant CATL, despite NGOs raising concerns over a lack of environmental guarantees. Indonesia is the world's largest nickel producer, and it is trying ...

China-Linked Mines in Myanmar Blamed for Toxic Pollution Flowing Into Thailand

By Chayanit Itthipongmaetee and Sally Jensen A sprawling new mine is gouged into the lush rolling hills of northeast Myanmar, where civil war has weakened the government's already feeble writ, and pollution levels are rising downstream in Thailand. ...

Vietnam Protests China, Philippines Claims on South China Sea Reef

Vietnam on Saturday protested claims by China and the Philippines over a disputed reef in the South China Sea, which it considers its own territory. Manila and Beijing traded barbs last week over Sandy Cay, a group of small sandbanks in ...

Silence on AUKUS: A Missed Opportunity in the Indonesia–China Strategic Dialogue

What wasn’t said in Beijing last week may prove far more consequential than what was. At their first-ever 2+2 ministerial-level dialogue, China and Indonesia marked 75 years of diplomatic ties with warm words and ceremonial handshakes at the prestigious Diaoyutai Guesthouse.  ...

With BRICS Platform, Indonesia Seeks Global South Solidarity

In Rio de Janeiro this week, Indonesia made its debut on the BRICS stage—not as an invited guest, but as a full member. Foreign Minister Sugiono’s presence at the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting marked a milestone in Jakarta’s evolving approach to multilateral diplomacy, reflecting a growing confidence ...

New Zealand, Phillippines Sign Troops Deal in ‘Deteriorating’ Strategic Environment

By Pam Castro The Philippines and New Zealand signed an agreement on Wednesday allowing the deployment of troops on each other's territory, a move aimed at bolstering security in a "deteriorating" strategic environment. The visiting ...

Chinese National Arrested With Surveillance Device Near Philippine Election Commission

A Chinese national was arrested while operating a surveillance device near the offices of the Philippine election commission, authorities said Wednesday, less than two weeks before the country's mid-term polls. The man was allegedly using an "IMSI catcher", a device capable ...

Japan, Philippines Leaders Vow to Deepen Security Ties

The leaders of Japan and the Philippines pledged in Manila on Tuesday to deepen security ties, including increased intelligence sharing, as they grapple with territorial disputes with China. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on his first visit to the Philippines since ...

Japan PM Goes to Vietnam, the Philippines to Talk Tariffs

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba left Sunday for a four-day trip to Vietnam and the Philippines, as Tokyo seeks to shore up regional ties after Donald Trump's tariff onslaught. Ishiba's trip comes after China's President Xi Jinping conducted his own Southeast ...

Philippines, U.S. Test Air Defenses as China Seizes Reef

By Ted Aljibe Missiles fired off the coast of the northern Philippines Sunday as U.S. and Filipino forces conducted their first integrated defense drills, hours after China said it had seized control of a reef claimed by Manila. ...

Philippine Security Agency Says Signs of China Election Interference

By Pam Castro The Philippines' National Security Council (NSC) stated on Thursday that there are indications China is conducting a "state-sponsored" campaign to interfere in next month's midterm elections. The accusation emerged at a Senate ...
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