President-elect Prabowo Subianto’s visit to Beijing, at the invitation of the Chinese government, signifies a potential pivot in Indonesia’s foreign policy toward China. This visit comes at a crucial time, as Indonesia seeks to assert its position in the region amid escalating China-U.S. rivalry. Examining Prabowo’s historical stance toward China unveils a complex narrative. During … Read more
Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo Subianto said today that he wants to deepen security and economic cooperation with Japan, just days after stating the same thing with regard to China. Prabowo, who currently serves as Indonesia’s defense minister, arrived in Japan last night from China, where he made his first foreign trip since winning a significant victory … Read more
From March 31 to April 2, Prabowo Subianto visited China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, his first foreign trip since winning Indonesia’s presidential election in February. During the visit, Xi Jinping congratulated Prabowo on his electoral success and highlighted the high quality of the two nations’ recent bilateral cooperation, notably exemplified by projects … Read more
The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. Bridget Welsh – honorary research associate at the Asia Research Institute of University of Nottingham Malaysia, senior research associate of the Hu Feng Center for East Asia … Read more
Over the past ten years, China has emerged as a significant foreign investor in Indonesia. Between 2019 and 2022 alone, according to data from the Ministry of Investment, Chinese companies invested $20.9 billion across 9,080 projects in the country. Chinese investments in Indonesia can be categorized into two distinct groups. The first are those of … Read more
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pose for a photo ahead of their meeting in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. Credit: Facebook/Presiden Joko Widodo Advertisement China is willing to expand and strengthen economic cooperation with Indonesia, including in digital technology and renewable energy, President Xi Jinping said yesterday after meeting with President … Read more
Advertisement Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo yesterday launched his country’s – and Southeast Asia’s – first high-speed railway, a milestone both for his administration and for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy scheme. The $7.3 billion rail line, which links the capital Jakarta to the city of Bandung … Read more
Advertisement “Seek knowledge even unto China,” states a famous saying (hadith) attributed to the prophet of Islam. While most mainstream Islamic scholarship views this hadith as inauthentic, it remains popular across the Muslim world, including in Indonesia. Muslim children memorize it in madrassas. And, despite the view that the hadith was not meant to be … Read more