Category: South East Asia

China and Indonesia at 75: Progress Celebrated, Problems Persist

This past weekend, President Xi Jinping and Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto exchanged warm pleasantries over the phone, celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations between their two nations. It was a conversation rich in symbolism and ambition, with talk of “shared futures,” “strategic partnerships,” and a bilateral ...

Indonesia Officially Joins BRICS as Full Member, Brazil Confirms

Indonesia has officially joined BRICS as a full member, marking a significant expansion of the bloc, which currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. The announcement came from Brazil on Monday, ...

Indonesia-China Relations in 2024: Year-in-Review

In 2024, Indonesia-China relations reached a critical juncture, characterized by deepening cooperation and emerging tensions. While economic ties, security collaboration, and cultural diplomacy expanded, several challenges are complicating bilateral ties between the two countries. Indonesia’s formal intention to join the ...

Indonesia Shifts Focus, Now Eyeing China’s Approach to Poverty Alleviation

Indonesia is looking to emulate China’s community empowerment model to tackle poverty, according to Budiman Sudjatmiko, head of the National Agency for Poverty Alleviation Acceleration, on Friday. This marks a strategic pivot from its current reliance on social assistance programs. ...

Indonesia Targets Investment Relocation from China, Sees Regulatory Reforms as Key

The shifting tides of global trade are positioning Indonesia as a potential winner, as companies seek alternatives to China amid ongoing U.S.-China trade tensions. But there's a catch: businesses want the government to clean up its regulations before they commit. Deputy ...

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 ...

Leaders Pledge Closer Ties During Week of Southeast Asia-China Diplomacy

As territorial disputes keep Southeast Asia on edge, Chinese and regional leaders are promising closer cooperation at a series of diplomatic events this week. Chinese Premier Li Qiang emphasized connectivity on Monday at the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE). Li ...

Indonesia Says Chinese Coast Guard Ship Driven From Disputed Waters

Indonesia said Thursday it drove out a Chinese coast guard vessel from contested waters in the South China Sea twice in recent days, the latest move by a Southeast Asian nation against Beijing's actions in the strategic waterway. Chinese vessels have ...

China, Thailand Flock to Laos’ Rivers for Electricity

Pak Beng is a small, sleepy town north of Laos. Little happens in this town except when the slow boat emerges on the Mekong River pier at six in the evening. When that happens, shops, bars, and restaurants near the pier come alive to greet arriving tourists. ...

Vietnam’s Powerful Legislative Leader in China for Talks in Which Both Sides Seek to Reassure the Other

Vietnam's powerful legislative leader, Vương Đình Huệ, kicked off a five-day visit to the Chinese capital on Monday with a meeting with President Xi Jinping. Huệ was received by Xi almost as if he were a visiting head of state, which may, ...

Chinese Communist Party’s Top Diplomat Pays ‘Courtesy Call’ to Malaysian PM

The Chinese Communist Party's most senior diplomat, Liu Jianchao, met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday and confirmed that Chinese PM Li Qiang will visit Kuala Lumpur at the end of the year. Liu, who is widely believed to be ...

The First Made-in-China Jetliner Arrives in Vietnam

China's first domestically-made commercial airliner arrived in Vietnam on Tuesday, its second overseas stop after it made its public debut at the Singapore Air Show last weekend. The plane's manufacturer, COMAC, is eying Southeast Asia as a primary market for the ...

China’s Ambassador to Indonesia Pays House Call to Congratulate Prabowo Subianto on Likely Presidential Win

Indonesian election authorities are still counting ballots, but all indications point to Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto securing a decisive victory to become the country's next president. In anticipation of Prabowo's expected win, China's ambassador to Jakarta, Lu Kang, made a house ...
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