Indonesia
Becoming a republic will improve Australia’s image in Asia
Almost three years after his address to the Australian Republic Movement (ARM) dinner in November 2019, Anthony Albanese, then leader of the opposition and now prime minister, has…
Jokowi adopts a statesman style
When Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo first came to office in 2014, many pundits had doubts about his capacity for foreign policy, especially when compared to his…
The Indonesia Investment Authority: Jokowi’s trouble-shooter?
Since President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) entered office in 2014, his priority has been infrastructure construction, with his re-election in 2019 partly due to the government’s…
Years of living statelessly: refugees in Indonesia
Nazanin Ali walked stylishly in the Westin Hotel Jakarta lounge. Wearing a black hat and collared shirt, she exhibited the “Makaila Haifa” brand of clothing to the invited guests…
Indonesia-Australia climate change cooperation begins with the ocean
The recent visit to Jakarta by Australia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was productive. Among many issues raised in a joint communique released following a meeting with…
Hyundai takes the driver’s seat in Indonesia’s EV market
In March, President Joko Widodo helped launch Indonesia’s first locally made electric vehicle – the IONIQ 5 – at a ceremony for a new automotive plant operated by the…
Wong’s Bahasa pitch to Indonesia
Many years back while a journalist with The Age in Melbourne, I interviewed Marty Natalegawa, then Indonesia’s foreign minister. Natalegawa had studied at university in Canberra,…
Economic diplomacy: New Labor ministers are facing up to old issues
Made in Australia
When incoming Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wanted to regenerate a tired Japanese government last year, he appointed an economic security minister to chart an…
A flash in the pan? Indonesia’s palm oil export ban
The global vegetable oils industry was stunned after Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo announced late last month that his country, the world’s largest producer of palm oil, would…
What is at stake with new provinces in West Papua?
On 12 April, the Indonesian parliament announced plans to establish three new provinces in West Papua. Currently, the western part of the island of New Guinea consists of two…