Indonesia

Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo inspects an honor guard before meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto at the State House in Nairobi on Aug. 21.
International relations

Indonesia's Jokowi deepens Global South ties in Africa tour

Jakarta bags energy, vaccine deals in landmark visits by president

24 August 2023
Works by Indonesian artist Ari Bayuaji using upcycled trash collected from the ocean are displayed at the Kennedy Center in Washington. (Courtesy of Ari Bayuaji)
Arts

Indonesian artist transforms marine trash into art

Ari Bayuaji's invented fabric made from fishing junk makes a global connection

24 August 2023
Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, standing on the right, witnesses the signing of a preliminary deal to purchase 24 units of F-15EX fighter jets from Boeing in the U.S. city of St. Louis on Aug. 21. (Photo courtesy of the Indonesian Defense Ministry)
Defense

Indonesia to buy 24 F-15EX fighter jets from Boeing

Move follows similar deals for French-made Rafale, Mirage aircraft

22 August 2023
Street performers show their colors at the annual Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The number and variety of Asian shows at the festival has expanded significantly in recent years. (© Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society)
Arts

Asian acts triumph at Edinburgh Fringe

Laughter transcends cultural differences in Scottish arts festival

22 August 2023
While global leaders make the trek to Port Moresby to court PNG's leader, rising debt, inflation and sluggish growth could derail Prime Minister James Marape's plan to make his country the world's "richest Black Christian nation."
Asia Insight

Papua New Guinea's Marape: Pacific power broker or PM in peril?

Amid U.S.-China balancing act, PNG leader faces mounting pressure at home

22 August 2023
Haze blankets the main business district in Jakarta on Aug. 11.
Environment

Jakarta orders civil servants to work from home due to pollution

Government to seed clouds, tighten emission standards to fight filthy air

21 August 2023
Opened in 2015, the Integrated Maritime and Fishery Center Natuna is the largest fishing port on Natuna Besar. (Photo by Koya Jibiki)
South China Sea

Indonesia taps local fishers to boost Natuna Islands defense

Modernizing industry emerges as priority in deterring Chinese maritime claims

18 August 2023
Indonesian President Joko Widodo, wearing traditional attire from the Tanimbar Archipelago, delivers his state of the nation speech to parliament in Jakarta on Aug. 16.
Economy

Jokowi urges next leader to maintain commodity policies

Indonesia also unveils $216bn draft budget for 2024, up 8%

16 August 2023
East Ventures announced the raising of $250 million in the first and final close of its latest fund, Growth Plus, in May this year. (Source photo by Reuters and logo from East Ventures' website)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesia's East Ventures said to be raising sustainability fund

Venture capital firm has secured over $30m of worth of commitments, sources say

16 August 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping waves to attendees of the ASEAN-China Special Summit via video link from Beijing in November 2021. 
The Big Story

China's grip on Southeast Asia tightens as U.S. influence wanes

From Vietnam to Indonesia, development aid and 'Asian values' drive Beijing's dominance

16 August 2023
Running late: Indonesia has been working on the Jakarta Bandung High Speed Rail line since 2016. (Photo courtesy of Kereta Cepat Indonesia China)
Transportation

Indonesia set to open Southeast Asia's 1st high-speed rail in October

Jokowi eager to tout China-backed project after delays and cost overruns

16 August 2023
GoTo was formed in May 2021 by the merger of ride-hailing and food delivery company Gojek and local e-commerce major Tokopedia.
Technology

Indonesia's GoTo first-half net loss narrows to $470m

Superapp and e-commerce platform makes further gains toward profitability

15 August 2023
From left: Former Jakarta Gov. Anies Baswedan, Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto and Central Java Gov. Ganjar Pranowo (Source photos by Kentaro Iwamoto and Reuters)
Indonesia election

Jokowi's ex-rival gains ground in Indonesia presidential race

Six months ahead of election, Subianto courts young voters to lead the race

14 August 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with folk artists after addressing the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort in Delhi in 2022.
Your Week in Asia

India, Indonesia, Singapore leaders to speak; Kishida-Yoon-Biden summit

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

13 August 2023
Baskit was founded in November 2022 to address Indonesia's often ineffective traditional distribution chain. (Screenshot from Baskit's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Indonesia's Baskit raises funds from Korea Investment Partners

B2B commerce company's CEO says investors still 'keen' on Southeast Asian nation

11 August 2023
China's Wuling Motors manufactures in Indonesia, where it dominates the still small electric vehicle market. (Photo by Nana Shibata) 
Automobiles

Chinese, South Korean EV makers push on in Indonesia

Japan still dominates overall market with gasoline, hybrid models

10 August 2023
The Thai baht touched a 26-year high against the yen this month.
Currencies

Baht, won soar against yen as smaller Asian economies outperform

Thai, South Korean currencies bolstered by rate hikes and years of current-account gains

10 August 2023
Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus hopes to sell eCanter, an electric vehicle truck, in Indonesia. (Photo by Miho Tankai)
Automobiles

Mitsubishi Fuso to launch EV truck in Indonesia

Japanese manufacturer prepares for competition with Chinese rivals

8 August 2023
The Indonesian real estate market is projected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of over 10% from 2022 to 2027, according to a report by Mordor Intelligence. (Source photo by Getty and logo from Lamudi's website)
DealStreetAsia

Real estate listing platform Lamudi Indonesia eyes acquisitions

CEO Mart Polman calls achieving scale 'critical' in property tech industry

8 August 2023
Publishing entrepreneur Brilliant Yotenega -- better known as Ega -- says digital books are the key to boosting interest in reading in Indonesia. (Photo by Randy Mulyanto)
Startups

Indonesia startup Storial works to shake up book publishing

Digitalization, selling IP rights part of strategy to spur reading, boost authors

7 August 2023
Indonesia's GDP grew 5.17% in the April-June quarter from a year earlier, buoyed by strong consumer spending during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Indonesia Q2 GDP growth accelerated to 5.17% on strong spending

Consumption during Ramadan helped expand Southeast Asia's largest economy

7 August 2023
 The Indonesian International Motor Show in 2018: The country's main trade group will hold the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show starting Aug. 10
Your Week in Asia

Indonesia auto show, Cambodia PM transition, Taiwan's Lai visits U.S.

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

6 August 2023
Raditya Wibowo, left, and Arief Fadillah co-founded Maka Motors in 2021. Wibowo says the electric motorcycle company aims to be profitable by 2030. (Photo courtesy of Maka Motors)
Companies

Indonesia's Maka Motors to manufacture electric motorbikes in 2024

Local company aims to crack market controlled by Chinese players

4 August 2023
A clothing retailer in Hulu Langat on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur engages with buyers on TikTok Shop. (Photo by Norman Goh)
Business Spotlight

TikTok takes on Shopee, Tokopedia in ASEAN e-commerce race

Buyers and sellers flock to shopping feature while authorities fret

4 August 2023
A Chinese Coast Guard vessel near the Spratly Islands in March: Many ASEAN nations have complained about China's activities in the South China Sea.
Opinion

ASEAN shouldn't give up on idea of South China Sea naval drill

Indonesia can revive proposal with other interested members

3 August 2023