Indonesia

A new foreign minister, but who really calls the shots in Indonesia?

The appointment of a career diplomat has raised hopes of a return to Indonesia’s traditional foreign policy, with renewed emphasis on ASEAN. But Prabowo’s handling of China and the South China Sea raises questions about whether the country can change course while the president remains firmly in charge. ISEAS academic Leo Suryadinata gives his take.

Leo Suryadinata

14 Oct 2026

Southeast Asia’s mixed AI stacks: Pragmatic but not risk-free

Regional initiatives such as Singapore’s SEA-LION and Indonesia’s Sahabat-AI show that Southeast Asia can combine technologies from American, Chinese and regional sources. But mixed AI stacks do not automatically reduce dependence. ISEAS academic Zenobia Chan tells us more.

Zenobia Chan

08 Oct 2026

Are China and Indonesia model Global South partners?

China and Indonesia are partnering to reshape the world order as key members of the Global South amid a deteriorating Western liberal order and weakened US leadership. However, ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook notes that their differing national interests would limit the relationship.

Lye Liang Fook

07 Oct 2026

[Big read] Can ASEAN continue to reap economic benefits from the US-China rivalry?

Southeast Asia once benefited from China-US rivalry as companies shifted supply chains into the region. Now, tighter US rules are forcing countries to account for their Chinese links — and putting their strategic neutrality to the test. Lianhe Zaobao journalist Zhou Yifei finds out.

Zhou Yifei

06 Oct 2026

China has led nearly 300 green initiatives. Is it a climate leader?

A new study reveals China has led 291 environmental initiatives since 2000. However, with questions remaining over their real-world impact, can Beijing truly lead as the US retreats from global climate governance? Lianhe Zaobao’s China news correspondent Lim Zhan Ting finds out more.

Lim Zhan Ting

01 Sep 2026

China tech firms drive AI data centre boom in Southeast Asia

China is powering Southeast Asia’s data centre boom. But as demand surges and resources tighten, Chinese companies are localising their operations and reshaping the region’s digital infrastructure.

Caixin Global

28 Aug 2026

Is China shaping Indonesia’s emerging Rebana Metropolitan Area?

While much attention has focused on Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital, Rebana Metropolitan Area in West Java province presents a lesser-known economic opportunity that China has seized. Researcher Michael Hutahaean and academic Chen Xiangming explain.

Michael Hutahaean, Chen Xiangming

16 Jul 2026

The seas are no longer free: Pirate kings and the emerging maritime order

With the Strait of Hormuz held hostage by players like Iran and the US, the notion of “state piracy” has returned to the debate, alongside rising scrutiny of countries along key waterways such as the Strait of Malacca. US academic Ma Haiyun argues that these “strait powers” may be able to convert control over maritime chokepoints into geopolitical leverage.

Ma Haiyun

06 May 2026

Beyond trade: The human ties reshaping Indonesia-China relations

Beyond Chinese infrastructural investment or resources extraction in Indonesia, the web of exchanges formed from building mobility, education and institutional links could help to foster a more holistic approach to building bilateral relations and make them stronger, says analyst Kevin Zongzhe Li.

Kevin Zongzhe Li

28 Apr 2026

There’s no city like Singkawang: Where Hakka is the lingua franca and Cap Go Meh dazzles

In Singkawang, West Kalimantan, writer Teo Han Wue found kindred spirits, a vibrant Chinese community and a chance to witness the colourful culmination of Chinese New Year celebrations there — a spirit-medium parade, known to the locals as Cap Go Meh or Pawai Tatung.

Teo Han Wue

02 Apr 2026

Planes, missiles, submarines: Southeast Asia’s quiet arms race?

A slew of arms procurement deals in Southeast Asia has raised eyebrows on whether the region is engaged in an arms race. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Claudia Liao finds out from academics that these military upgrades may have more to do with prestige than capability.

Claudia Liao

25 Mar 2026

Indonesia’s nickel hub: Beyond state control?

Morowali, a key centre of Indonesia’s nickel processing industry, is becoming a “para-sovereign” space where formal sovereignty is intact yet practical authority is shared, fragmented or captured by private actors, says researcher Ronny P Sasmita.

Ronny P Sasmita

20 Feb 2026