pm visit indonesia

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PM Modi to visit Indonesia today: What’s on the agenda for the 24-hour trip?

Prime minister narendra modi will visit indonesia for high-level summits and discuss economic cooperation..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to embark on a significant diplomatic visit to Indonesia this Wednesday evening. The visit, a tight 24-hour trip, culminates in his return to New Delhi on September 7 evening. The excursion to Jakarta is at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and it comes as a precursor to India's hosting of the G20 Summit on September 9-10.

In Jakarta, PM Modi is expected to take part in two high-level summits on September 7 — the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS). In an accommodating gesture, Indonesia, which currently holds the chair of ASEAN, rearranged the summit schedules to allow for PM Modi's early departure.

This year's ASEAN Summit theme is "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth", reflecting Indonesia's vision for the bloc as a key hub of economic development . These meetings will also serve as an avenue for India and its Southeast Asian counterparts to review their mutual progress and map out avenues for future collaboration, ANI reported.

Also Read: Congress reveals special session agenda: Refuses to engage in 'Modi chalisa' for 5 days

It's worth noting that the 20th ASEAN-India Summit marks the first meeting of its kind since the relationship between the two parties was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. These upgraded ties signify greater cooperation across various sectors, from trade to security.

The East Asia Summit is equally significant, giving India a platform alongside eight other dialogue partners and ASEAN nations to discuss issues of regional and global import. It's a stage for multilateral dialogue, a crucial component for maintaining stability and fostering cooperation in the Asian region.

A key focus of this visit will be economic cooperation. Just in August, ASEAN-India Economic Ministers gathered in Indonesia. Their primary agenda was a timely assessment of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement, initially inked in 2009. Both sides have committed to a quarterly negotiation schedule, aiming for a comprehensive review of the trade agreement by 2025.

Also Read: ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’: Sambit Patra shares invitation of PM Modi's Indonesia visit amid India's name change rumour

PM Modi's forthcoming trip to Indonesia is not his first; he previously visited the country in 2018. At that time, both India and Indonesia upgraded their bilateral relationship, inaugurating a New Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. 

This pact aimed at elevating cooperation in multiple domains, setting the stage for what is today a flourishing diplomatic and economic relationship between the two nations.

(With agency inputs)

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PM Modi to visit Indonesia today to attend ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit

During his visit, pm modi is expected to attend the 20th asean-india summit and 18th east asia summit being hosted by indonesia as the current chair of asean ( association of southeast asian nations)..

• Updated Sep 07, 2023, 6:34 PM IST

• PM Modi will be leaving for Jakarta, Indonesia, today (September 6) evening
• He is visiting the country at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo
• During his visit, PM Modi is expected to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be leaving for Jakarta, Indonesia, today (September 6) evening. He is visiting the country at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.

During his visit, PM Modi is expected to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit being hosted by Indonesia as the current Chair of ASEAN ( Association of Southeast Asian Nations). In a special gesture towards PM Modi, Indonesia rearranged the summit schedules to allow his early departure as he will be back on Thursday (September 7) owing to his tight schedule.

This year's ASEAN-India Summit will be the first Summit since the elevation of India-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. The Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and will also set the future direction for the cooperation between them, said Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a release.

The ASEAN Summit chaired by Indonesia will be hosted under the theme "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth." This theme indicates that Indonesia expects the ASEAN to be relevant and significant as the centre of economic growth, reported the news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, the East Asia Summit would provide an opportunity for leaders of ASEAN countries and its eight dialogue partners (Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States), to exchange views on issues of regional and global significance.

Previously, in August, ASEAN-India Economic Ministers met in Indonesia, and the main agenda of this year's meeting was the timely review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), signed in 2009. Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary at the Department of Commerce in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, represented India at the 20th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers' meeting and co-chaired the meeting with Dr Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Trade, Indonesia.

The Economic Ministers or their representatives from all the 10 ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) participated in the August meeting. 

With a focus on enhancing cooperation in trade and investment sectors as well as security and defence, relations between India and ASEAN have seen a significant improvement over the past few years.

Also watch:  G20 New Delhi: A look back at the major alliances India has joined over the years

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Prime Minister’s visit to Jakarta, Indonesia (September 06-07, 2023)

September 02, 2023

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia on 06-07 September 2023 at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Joko Widodo, President of the Republic of Indonesia. 2. During his visit, Prime Minister will attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit being hosted by Indonesia as current Chair of ASEAN. 3. The forthcoming ASEAN-India Summit will be the first Summit since the elevation of India-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. The Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of co-operation. 4. The East Asia Summit would provide an opportunity for Leaders of ASEAN countries and its eight dialogue partners, including India, to exchange views on issues of regional and global significance. New Delhi September 02, 2023

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PM Modi to visit Bali from November 14-16 to attend G-20 summit

On the sidelines of the summit, the Prime Minister will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts.

PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi will visit the Indonesian city of Bali from November 14 to 16 to attend the G-20 summit, the Ministry of External Affairs announced on Thursday.

The summit is likely to be attended by US President Joe Biden , British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak , French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, among others.

The leaders are expected to deliberate on the Ukraine conflict, its implications on food and energy security and other pressing global issues such as climate change.

Modi is attending the summit at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Indonesia is the current chair of G-20.

“During the Bali summit, G20 leaders will deliberate extensively upon key issues of global concern under the summit theme of ‘Recover Together, Recover Stronger’. Three working sessions will be held as part of the G20 summit agenda — food and energy security, health and digital transformation,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing.

He said President Widodo will symbolically hand over the G20 presidency to Prime Minister Modi at the closing session of the summit. India will formally assume the G20 presidency from December 1.

“On the sidelines of the summit, the prime minister will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts. The Prime Minister will also address and interact with the Indian community in Bali,” Bagchi said.

• Narendra Modi

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Pm Modi Indonesia Visit

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Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau

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• Prime Minister visits Indonesia, welcomes a new chapter in the Canada-ASEAN relationship

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Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have a longstanding, strong, and growing partnership. We are working together with ASEAN and the greater Indo-Pacific region to tackle global challenges, create jobs, grow our economies, drive climate action, and improve quality of life for all our peoples.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today met with the President of Indonesia and current Chair of ASEAN, Joko Widodo, in Jakarta, Indonesia to strengthen ties between our two countries. He also announced new funding to improve security and strengthen Canada’s economic ties with the Indo-Pacific region ahead of the 43rd ASEAN Summit.

The leaders announced a Joint Understanding on Development Cooperation, which commits Canada and Indonesia to work together more closely on development that helps accelerate progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Prime Minister Trudeau also announced the opening of an Export Development Canada (EDC) office in Jakarta . This increased Canadian presence in Indonesia will help Canadian companies do business in the region and encourage Canada’s growing trade in areas like clean tech, infrastructure, and agri-food.

Over the next two days, Prime Minister Trudeau will attend the ASEAN Summit and mark the beginning of a new era in Canada-ASEAN relations with the official launch of the ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership. Canada’s trade with ASEAN is growing faster than ever before: An 18 per cent growth in trade in 2021 jumped to 28.8 per cent in 2022. Canada has been an ASEAN dialogue partner since 1977, and now, as Canada is elevated to strategic partner, we will enhance our cooperation even further on peace and security, encouraging development, and building stronger ties between our people and economic ties that will benefit everyone.

On his first day in Jakarta, the Prime Minister also highlighted that we are increasing our diplomatic and trade presence in the region with the appointment of Paul Thoppil as the first Canadian Indo-Pacific Trade Representative (CIPTR). A major milestone of the Indo-Pacific Strategy, the new CIPTR will facilitate and promote trade, investment, and supply chain resilience between Canada and the region, helping Canadian exporters do business there and creating good Canadian jobs. The Prime Minister also announced upcoming Team Canada Trade Missions to the Indo-Pacific, including Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam, to further help promote Canada’s competitive advantage to exporters and innovators in these countries, and facilitate long-term trade and investment opportunities as Canada and ASEAN negotiate a free trade agreement.

The Prime Minister confirmed FinDev Canada will be opening a new office in the Indo-Pacific region, which will further support private sector sustainable development initiatives, drive economic growth, and create good jobs. FinDev’s expanded presence in Asia will focus on supporting renewable energy, transportation, water, and digital infrastructure solutions. This will also help our global partners achieve the SDGs.

As part of our mutual interest in protecting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Trudeau today announced the following security initiatives ahead of the ASEAN summit:

• To help ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat to prevent, detect, and respond to biological threats like pandemics, Canada’s Mitigation of Biological Threats in the ASEAN Region Program will deliver an additional $10 million in funding to ASEAN between 2023 and 2028.
• To reduce the threat to Southeast Asian populations of a nuclear or radiological security incident, Canada’s Weapons Threat Reduction Program is providing $2.6 million to the World Institute for Nuclear Security to support sustainable nuclear security training in Thailand and help expand training on nuclear security competencies within Southeast Asia.

The Prime Minister also announced funding of over $13 million for two development assistance sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) projects in Indonesia, to further advance the rights of women and girls by improving access to quality and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services.

Canada is a champion of green infrastructure as foundational to the global energy transition, and as a key to achieving the SDGs. By sharing our skills and resources in clean technology, green infrastructure, and development, we can support global partners in building infrastructure that promotes decarbonization, strengthens resilience to climate shocks, and improves gender equality. On September 6, at the ASEAN Summit, the Prime Minister will participate in the leader’s talk on “Green Infrastructure and Resilient Supply Chains” where he will highlight Canada’s position as a global leader in sustainable development and clean technology and speak to some new green infrastructure projects that Canada is supporting in the Indo-Pacific:

• A $40 million loan to the Karian Serpong Water Supply Project will improve access to safe and clean water for over two million people in Jakarta and surrounding areas.
• The Indonesia Sustainable Least-cost Electrification-1 (ISLE-1) Program, which will increase access to sustainable and lower-cost electricity for around 2 million people in eastern Indonesia and scale up solar power investments, is supported by a $64.05 million loan from Canada. This project will also help lower the cost of power generation by 20 per cent.

As we adapt to a rapidly changing world and face shared challenges and crises, Canada values the deepening relationship with ASEAN. Canada supports ASEAN centrality and ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific as, together, we work toward a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. We will continue to work together to build a safer, more sustainable, and more prosperous world for everyone.

“In the face of challenge, we are stronger together. The warm welcome and constructive conversations we are having here in Indonesia are a testament to Canada’s strong friendships and growing relationship with the Indo-Pacific region. Together, we’re creating good jobs, protecting peace and security, and forging a better future for people on both sides of the Pacific.” The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

• Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, released in November 2022, advances and defends Canada’s interests by supporting a more secure, prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Indo-Pacific region while protecting Canada’s national and economic security at home and abroad.
• The Indo-Pacific is the fastest growing economic region in the world, and Canada’s second-largest merchandise export market after the United States of America, with annual two-way trade valued at $270 billion in 2022.
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising 10 member states with the objective to accelerate economic growth, social progress, and cultural development; promote regional peace and stability, respect for justice, and the rule of law; and increase collaboration across a range of economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific, and administrative spheres.
• While in Jakarta, Prime Minister Trudeau and ASEAN leaders will highlight the Canada-ASEAN Partnership Forum on Education, to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, in November 2023, welcoming over 250 delegates from the world of education to build connections between academic institutions in Canada and in the ASEAN region.
• This is the fourth ASEAN Summit Prime Minister Trudeau will participate in. He also participated in summits in 2017, 2018, and 2022.
• ASEAN member state economies represent Canada’s fourth-largest trading partner, with nearly $41 billion in bilateral trade in 2022.
• Indonesia, a founding member of ASEAN, has about 35 per cent of ASEAN’s total GDP and was Canada’s 19th-largest trading partner worldwide in 2022. In that year, Canadian merchandise exports to Indonesia were valued at $3.3 billion, up 40 per cent year on year.
• The Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, Mary Ng, accompanied the Prime Minister in Indonesia.

Related Products

• Backgrounder: Canada’s growing relationship with ASEAN and the Indo-Pacific region
• Joint Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN-Canada Strategic Partnership
• ASEAN-Canada Joint Leaders’ Statement on strengthening food security and nutrition in response to crises

Associated Links

• Prime Minister to travel to the Indo-Pacific to strengthen ties
• Canada and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
• Canada and Indonesia
• Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese seeks to reboot Australia's ties as he heads to Indonesia on first bilateral visit

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has brought a full-court press of frontbenchers and a bevy of high-powered business leaders on his first prime ministerial visit to Indonesia, as his government seeks to reboot Australia's relationships in the region amid heightened anxiety over China's rapid rise.

Key points:

• Mr Albanese has chosen Jakarta as the destination for his first official bilateral trip
• The government has inherited a solid relationship from the Coalition
• Indonesia is yet to crack Australia's list of top 10 trading partners

In choosing Jakarta as the destination for his first official bilateral trip, Mr Albanese is following a familiar flight path to his predecessors and making the same statement about Australia's hierarchy of foreign relations.

Whether he takes to the subtle arts of statesmanship and regional diplomacy, is just one of the many tests Mr Albanese is about to be marked on.

The Prime Minister had an early taste, flying to Tokyo for the Quad Summit within hours of being sworn in.

In Jakarta, he will be joined by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Trade Minister Don Farrell and Industry Minister Ed Husic and nearly a dozen business leaders including the bosses of Wesfarmers, Telstra and Commonwealth Bank.

"My government is determined to have better relations across the Indo-Pacific region," Mr Albanese declared before flying out on Sunday.

"This early visit with a very high-level delegation from Australia indicates to our Indonesian friends the importance that we place on that relationship."

The Albanese government has inherited a solid relationship from the Coalition, which inked a long-awaited trade deal with the globe's largest Muslim democracy and forged closer strategic ties.

Still, the pandemic has prevented the economic partnership from reaching anything near its full potential.

The deal — which aims to eliminate tariffs and boost trade and investment across multiple sectors – was signed in 2019 but was only ratified in Indonesia as the pandemic began.

Indonesia, a country of more than 270 million people that is hosting this year's G20 summit , is yet to crack Australia's list of top 10 trading partners.

Labor has accused the Coalition of neglecting its South-East Asian neighbours and has promised to invest an extra $470 million in aid in the region and work with Jakarta to deliver a $200 million "climate and infrastructure partnership".

'The ball is in Australia's court for business and investment'

Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar, from Jakarta's Research Centre for Politics, said: "The road to Jokowi's heart will be business and investment," referring to President Joko Widodo.

And on that front, she said: "The ball is in Australia's court".

What will matter most, according to Professor Anwar, is the personal rapport Mr Albanese develops with President Widodo, or Jokowi as he's known.

"Relations are coloured by personalities, as well as policies," she said.

"We noted the personal rapport between PM [Malcolm] Turnbull and President Widodo with that famous market visit.

"That kind of personal rapport seems to be lacking between [former] prime minister Scott Morrison and President Joko Widodo."

Professor Anwar said it is Labor — more than Coalition governments in Australia — that have done most to foster closer relations in the region.

"It has always been remarked that Labor prime ministers tend to make extra efforts to get close to their Asian neighbours," she said.

Indeed, it was Paul Keating who, as prime minister, recognised the importance of working closely with governments in Jakarta, once declaring that "no country is more important to Australia than Indonesia".

Mr Albanese may well be seeking to emulate that approach on his first visit to South-East Asia.

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi has also acknowledged signs that the new Albanese government will strengthen Australia's cooperation in the region.

Last week, she cited a pledge by Australia's new Foreign Minister Penny Wong to appoint a "roving" special envoy to ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

"If you look at its history, the [Australian] Labor Party has established closer relations with Asian countries, including South-East Asia," she said, indicating expectations on Mr Albanese will be high.

Issues galore

Nevertheless, Australia's relationship with Indonesia has long been hampered by issues such as concerns over human rights abuses, Indonesian sensitivities over West Papua, asylum seeker boat turnbacks and the Bali Nine executions.

Most recently, Australia caused alarm in Jakarta and Malaysia over its bombshell AUKUS agreement with the UK and US to build nuclear-powered submarines .

Indonesia's Foreign Ministry at the time expressed deep concerns over the "continuing arms race and power projection in the region."

The statement was a reference to the great rivalry playing out in Indonesia's backyard between an increasingly assertive China and the United States, which views Beijing as its number one threat (something it needs to stay ahead of).

Indonesia pushes back against Chinese incursions into its maritime zone and disputes Beijing's territorial claims in the South China Sea, but it has so far resisted taking a stronger line.

The big elephant in the room

Philips J Vermonte, a senior fellow at Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said China would be the "big elephant in the room" during Mr Albanese's first meeting with Mr Widodo.

"We don't want to choose either side when we're talking about China or the United States," he said, noting China is Indonesia's biggest trading partner.

"I think the DNA of South-East Asian countries is that we want to have an open inclusive region."

China won't be the only delicate issue for Mr Albanese to navigate during his first official meeting with his Indonesian counterpart.

The Prime Minister is set to return to Indonesia in November for this year's G20 summit, which is already attracting controversy because of the likely attendance of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Asked whether he would be comfortable attending the summit alongside Putin, Mr Albanese said he had "no time" for Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine but noted the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had been invited to observe.

"Of course it's the case that people who respect human rights would feel uncomfortable with sitting around the table with Vladimir Putin," he said.

"I note that President Zelenskyy has been invited to observe the meeting as well, at least by video link, and I think that is an important initiative that's been taken."

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Indonesia-Singapore cooperation: Minister Airlangga meets Singaporean foreign minister

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uring his working visit to Indonesia, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto at the Office of the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs on Tuesday. The meeting was in preparation for the Leaders’ Retreat between President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Bogor Palace in West Java on April 29.

Both ministers are optimistic that the economic relations between the two countries will continue to strengthen through a range of potential bilateral cooperation, including green energy, especially solar farms, carbon capture storage, development of Batam-Bintan-Karimun, digital connectivity and data centers. Furthermore, Minister Airlangga said that data centers will be built around the national capital to support its modern and digitalized development.

One of the emphasized strategic collaborations is the development of human resources through skill development, exchange of talent in the digital field and increasing capacity in the healthcare sector. "The Indonesian government continues to support strong relations with Singapore, both bilaterally and within the ASEAN framework, for economic growth and regional stability," said Airlangga.

Airlangga and Balakrishnan also exchanged views on Indonesia's accession to the OECD and the geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East in an economic context. On this occasion, Balakrishnan expressed optimism that Indonesia would successfully complete the accession process.

Also present at the meeting were the Singaporean Ambassador to Indonesia and the Deputy for International Economic Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs. (d7/dfm/fsr)

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Liu Xin co-leads the Global Times China desk. She covers topics on China’s Xinjiang region, religious fields, border areas and ...

China Indonesia Photo:VCG

Indonesia's President-elect and Great Indonesia Movement Party General Chairman Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to visit China from March 31 to April 2, amid great expectations from both sides that the positive momentum of amicable ties will be sustained. Analysts said greater connections with China do not imply that Indonesia will choose a side in the rivalry between big countries, rather, Indonesia will insist on a non-aligned policy and play a more active role in dealing with regional issues.   

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prabowo will visit China from March 31 to April 2, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday.

President Xi will hold talks with President-elect Prabowo and Premier Li Qiang will also meet with him. Leaders of the two sides will exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of common concern, Lin Jian, a spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Friday.

Prabowo's choice of China as his first visit as president-elect fully reflects the high level of China-Indonesia relations, said the spokesperson.

China and Indonesia are both important developing countries and representatives of emerging economies, with deep traditional friendship and close and in-depth cooperation. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Joko Widodo, the two countries' relationship has maintained a strong momentum of development and entered a new stage of building a community of shared future, Lin said.

Both sides will take this visit as an opportunity to further consolidate their traditional friendship, deepen all-round strategic cooperation, promote the strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia, and create a model of cooperation between developing countries for unity, cooperation, and common development, injecting more stability and positive energy into regional and global development, Lin said.

Analysts said that it is not usual to see a president-elect being invited to China, and Prabowo's upcoming visit hints at the high possibility for the president-elect to continue President Joko Widodo's friendly policy toward China and carry forward the non-aligned foreign policy to avoid choosing sides amid competitions among major countries, analysts said.

They also expressed high anticipation for Indonesia to play a bigger role in promoting China's relations with ASEAN and in dealing with regional affairs, especially on the escalating South China Sea issues.

On March 20, Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) announced that Prabowo, who is the current defense minister of Indonesia, won the country's 2024 presidential election. The inauguration of the newly elected president and vice president is scheduled for October 20 this year.

On the same day the election outcome was announced, President Xi congratulated Prabowo and said that he looked forward to working with him to secure greater achievements in building a community with a shared future, and set an example of solidarity and coordination for common development among major developing countries so as to bring more benefits to the two peoples and inject strong impetus into regional and global prosperity and stability.

How to promote a China-Indonesia community of a shared future and further develop China-Indonesia relations and expand cooperation will top the agenda of Prabowo's meeting with Chinese leaders, Ge Hongliang, deputy director of the College of ASEAN Studies at Guangxi University for Nationalities, told the Global Times on Friday.

Ge said Prabowo may strongly carry forward President Widodo's China policy. In terms of the economy, aside from the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, which is the most notable accomplishment of China-Indonesia economic cooperation in recent years, bilateral cooperation has also expanded to other fields, particularly high technology.

Prabowo will continue to press Indonesia to move up from the bottom of the global industrial chain, thus cooperation with China will also be advantageous to Indonesia, said the expert.

Maintaining close ties with China does not mean Prabowo will abandon the long-standing principle of non-alignment in global affairs, some observers said.

During the presidential debate in Jakarta in January, Prabowo used the sentence "Having a thousand friends is insufficient, while having one enemy is too many" to emphasize the importance of fostering amicable relations with nations worldwide, Indonesian media reported.

Ge noted that as defense minister of Indonesia, Prabowo has a clear understanding of regional stability and hoped Southeast Asia will not fall into the arms race or competition between countries.

After Prabowo takes office, Indonesia will also insist on using political dialogue and negotiation to resolve regional conflicts, especially on the South China Sea issues. This underscores the significance of Indonesia's position as a regional stabilizer, said the expert.

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PM Modi to make quick visit to Indonesia tomorrow for Asean-India Summit

In indonesia, pm modi will also attend the east asia summit, which brings together the 10 asean members and eight dialogue partners (australia, india, china, japan, south korea, new zealand, russia and the us.

NEW DELHI: Leaders of India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will review their relations in areas ranging from maritime security to the digital economy and provide directions for future cooperation at a summit in Indonesia on September 7.

A new initiative on maritime security is expected to be among key outcomes of the Asean- India Summit to be held in Jakarta on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said. Days ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making a brief visit to Indonesia to attend the India-Asean Summit and East Asia Summit.

Modi will leave for Indonesia during the night on September 6 and return to New Delhi late in the evening the following day. Indonesia, the current chair of Asean, made adjustments to the schedule for both summits to facilitate Modi’s early return. Officials said Modi will not hold any bilateral meetings on the margins of the two summits in view of his tight schedule.

This will be the first Asean- India Summit since the two sides elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022, and the focus since then has been on maritime security, cyber-security, digital economy and emerging areas of cooperation. An Asean-India defence ministers’ meeting was held last November and the two sides conducted their first maritime exercise in May.

The Asean Summit will be an opportunity for the leadership to review progress in relations and to provide further direction for cooperation, said Saurabh Kumar, secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry. The relationship with Asean is a central pillar of India’s Act East policy and the vision for the wider Indo-Pacific, he told a media briefing.

Both sides also share a similar vision for the Indo-Pacific and are committed to building on the synergy between Asean’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, Kumar said.

With India and Asean observing the 30th anniversary of their partnership in 2022, the Indian side has focused on increasing connectivity in the physical, digital and economic domains. India and Indonesia launched direct flights through two private airlines in August, and India has also started direct flights to Vietnam.

Following the linking of the real-time cross-border payment systems of India and Singapore in February, Kumar said the Indian side is “looking at ways to expand this to other Asean countries”.

India-Asean trade was worth $131.5 billion during 2022-23, with the 10-member bloc accounting for more than 11% of India’s total trade for the period. The two sides have also begun a review of the India-Asean trade in goods agreement to make it more friendly and trade facilitative, to enhance and diversify trade, and to address existing asymmetries. This review is expected to be completed by 2025, Kumar said.

The East Asia Summit, which brings together the 10 Asean members and eight dialogue partners (Australia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US), is a key mechanism for dialogue on strategic matters. Kumar said India is committed to strengthening this platform and making it more effective to deal with contemporary challenges.

Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail

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Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir facing anti-graft probe in a case involving his sons

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This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

File photo. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad gestures during a news conference at Putrajaya, Malaysia on October 11, 2022.

Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is among individuals being investigated in connection with a graft probe involving his sons, the head of Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission said on Thursday, April 25.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in January served Mahathir’s businessmen sons, Mirzan and Mokhzani, with notices to declare their wealth, as part of investigations into offshore financial and business records revealed by a group of news organizations.

The MACC’s chief commissioner Azam Baki on Thursday declined to elaborate on the investigations facing Mahathir or his sons.

“Let the investigations conclude first, until an appropriate time when we can state the findings of the case,” he told reporters in televised remarks.

In recent months, the MACC has launched several graft cases against prominent political figures, including those seen allied to 98-year-old Mahathir, a long-time foe of current Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar has denied targeting political rivals, saying the investigations are part of the government’s efforts to tackle high-level corruption. – Rappler.com

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What did Tim Cook's SEA visit tell us?

Credit: AFP

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently concluded his most extensive Southeast Asia (SEA) tour in years, visiting Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore from April 15-19.

While the visits were brief, his meetings with the government leaders of these countries highlighted the purpose of this visit: to seek new growth markets and manufacturing sites to offset Apple's ongoing struggles in China.

Cook's X (formerly Twitter) account has painted the trip as one where he met with local content creators and communities, but media reports pointed out that Cook has repeatedly stressed the SEA region's importance as both a market and emergent manufacturing base. In meetings with government leaders, Cook discussed furthering collaboration between Apple and their respective countries, ranging from additional investments for manufacturing to AI talent cultivation.

Meeting government leaders

The first stop of Cook's trip was to Vietnam, where he met with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính . Pham pointed out that Apple has already created over 200,000 job opportunities in Vietnam in recent years. Cook stated that there will be increased cooperation with Vietnam, including buying more components and accessories from Vietnam's suppliers, a big boost to the country's goal of becoming a global manufacturing hub. Apple claimed it has invested approximately US$15.8 billion in the Vietnamese supply chain since 2019.

Cook's next stop was in Indonesia, where he met with President Joko Widodo , popularly known as "Jokowi." Cook stated that they "talked about the president's desire to see manufacturing in the country," and has referred to the investment ability in Indonesia as "endless." The meeting with Cook is part of Jokowi's efforts to shift global manufacturing supply chains into Indonesia amidst geopolitical tensions.

The country has already secured investments from automakers Hyundai and BYD. Besides Cook, Jokowi also met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2022 and may meet Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella at the end of this month.

Cook's last stop on his trip was to Singapore, where he met Prime Minister-elect Lawrence Wong and his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong (Update: Lee couldn't attend the meeting due to catching the flu ). Apple's relationship with Singapore runs deep, dating back to more than 40 years ago when Singapore manufactured Apple II PCs in the 1980s. Over the decades, Singapore has evolved to a point where it now serves as a key hub for Apple in the Asia-Pacific region.

Right before the meeting with Wong, Apple announced on its website that it plans to invest US$250 million to expand its Ang Mo Kio campus, with a focus on expanding the AI talent pool. The company stated that it already employs more than 3,600 people in Singapore and the expansion "will provide more space for new roles in AI and other functions." In the statement, Cook referred to Singapore as "truly a one-of-a-kind place," and that they "can't wait for many more decades of innovation to come."

Struggles in China and geopolitical concerns

Cook's visit highlighted the company's growing emphasis on the SEA region, and it is largely due to the company's sluggish performance in the Chinese market and growing geopolitical tensions between China and the US.

Apple's reliance on China has never been a secret, both as one of its largest foreign markets and its primary manufacturing/assembly site where its devices are produced. However, the company's biggest money maker, the iPhone, has been struggling in the Chinese market. According to Bloomberg , iPhone shipments in the Chinese market saw a 19% YoY decrease in the first quarter of 2024, the steepest for Apple since the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.

One of the factors contributing to the decline is the return of Huawei in the high-end smartphone market, which was further exacerbated by geopolitics as the Chinese government bans the use of iPhones in government agencies and state-owned companies. This ban gave domestic brands like Huawei another boost in prospects and cast further uncertainty on Apple's prospects in China.

To offset its struggles in China, Apple has been seeking out other markets. Among them is India, which has recently replaced China as the most populated country in the world. Tim Cook met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2023 as the company began to expand and shift some of its manufacturing to India. A recent report from Bloomberg stated that Apple is already assembling around 1 in 7 of its iPhones in India, totaling an output of US$14 billion.

Following the conclusion of another highly-publicized trip and meetings with government leaders by Tim Cook, it's likely safe to assume that the SEA region will undergo a similar increase in investments and attention from Apple in its quest to maintain growth without relying too much on the fickle market that is China.

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Apple could be trying to ‘hedge its supply-chain bets’ away from China with CEO Tim Cook’s whirlwind Southeast Asia tour

For years, “Asia” for Apple usually meant China . The world’s second-largest economy is one of Apple’s most important overseas markets, and a massive manufacturing hub. “There’s no supply chain in the world that’s more critical to us than China,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said on a trip to China in March. But with China sales slumping and possible threats to its supply chain, Apple could be taking a closer look at new Asian markets.

Apple’s CEO just wrapped up a five-day tour of Southeast Asia, stopping by Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore on a trip that could be an effort by the company to “hedge its supply-chain bets” and “ease the path” for later investment in the fast-growing region.

Southeast Asia is one of several emerging markets, alongside India and Latin America, that Apple needs to target for future growth, says Ivan Lam, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.

“Apple’s brand image is perceived as high-end in the Southeast Asian region and holds a favorable position in consumers’ mindsets,” he says. The analyst anticipates “further enhancement” in Apple’s sales strategies for Southeast Asia as the region’s consumption levels improve.

Southeast Asia, for now, makes up a small, but fast-growing, percentage of the iPhone market. 

“Apple shipped just under 10 million iPhones per year to Southeast Asia last year, which accounted for less than 5% of global iPhone shipments. But that was still 32% growth for iPhones in Southeast Asia,” says Bryan Ma, vice president of client devices research at IDC.

But Ma suspects that Cook’s interest in Southeast Asia is driven not by retail, but manufacturing.

“I suspect that an even bigger motivation behind the visit, though, is for the company to hedge its supply-chain bets as the industry continues to diversify from China. That means not just meetings with suppliers who have operations in the region, but also with governments who can ease the path for investments in their countries later,” Ma said.

China is still Apple’s largest manufacturing hub, but the COVID pandemic demonstrated to the iPhone maker the risk of having everything in one place. COVID lockdowns in Zhengzhou, sometimes known as “iPhone City,” lowered Apple’s smartphone production in 2022. Apple later partly blamed COVID disruptions for a 5% year-on-year drop in revenue for the 2022 holiday quarter.

More broadly, the U.S. is encouraging companies to “de-risk” by diversifying supply chains away from China.

Where did Apple CEO Tim Cook visit in Southeast Asia?

Cook’s first stop was Vietnam , already part of Apple’s supply chain. The country boasts a typical export-oriented manufacturing economy, and can leverage its close proximity to existing manufacturing supply chains in China. 

During his two-day stay in Vietnam, Cook pledged to increase spending on Vietnam-based suppliers during a meeting with Pham Minh Chinh, the country’s prime minister, in Hanoi. The company says it’s already spent close to $16 billion on the country’s supply chain since 2019, creating about 200,000 jobs. 

Cook then traveled to Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy and most populous country. During a meeting with the country’s outgoing president, Joko Widodo, Cook said he would consider setting up manufacturing facilities in the country. 

Apple currently has no manufacturing facilities in Indonesia. Instead, the company has set up several app developer academies since 2018. Apple said it would open its fourth developer academy in Bali during Cook’s visit.

Indonesia requires smartphones sold in the country to be made up of at least 35% local components by volume, though Apple satisfies the requirement, despite the lack of local production, through its developer academies.

The government hopes the U.S. tech giant will go beyond software. Indonesia’s industry minister, who was also at the meeting with Cook and Widodo, suggested after the meeting that Apple could partner with Indonesian companies to obtain components, even if it does not set up a manufacturing facility. 

Cook’s final stop on his Southeast Asian tour was Singapore, the city-state with the region’s highest per capita income. The country is home to three of Apple’s five Southeast Asian stores. (The other two are in Thailand, and Apple is reportedly considering its first store in Malaysia.)

Upon Cook’s arrival, Apple announced that it would invest over $250 million to grow its campus in the city-state. Apple opened its first facility in 1981, with 72 employees focused on the Apple II personal computer. The company says it now uses Singapore as a regional hub for critical roles and currently employs over 3,600 staff.

Apple’s CEO met Singapore’s prime minister-to-be , Lawrence Wong, on Friday. On LinkedIn , Wong wrote that he discussed “opportunities in Southeast Asia” and “the close partnership between Singapore and Apple” in his meeting with Cook.

On a popular Singaporean radio show on Friday, Cook said he wanted to invest more in R&D in the country. “Singapore has always held a special place in my heart,” he told listeners. 

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