https://www.scmp.com/rss/329876/feed Leo Suryadinata is Visiting Senior Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, and Professor (Adjunct) at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com A defence minister’s courtesy calls take on a different significance, albeit only slightly, when he will take over as Indonesia’s president in a matter of months. Even as president-elect Prabowo Subianto’s opponents are still challenging his electoral victory, many international leaders have already congratulated him. Chinese President Xi Jinping invited Prabowo as president-elect to visit Beijing; Prabowo also visited Japan and Malaysia after that. What was the significance of Prabowo’s visits... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3259693/indonesias-prabowo-solidifying-legitimacy-china-japan-and-malaysia-visits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3259693/indonesias-prabowo-solidifying-legitimacy-china-japan-and-malaysia-visits?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Apr 2024 02:00:26 +0000 A recent accident at PT Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel smelter in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, South Sulawesi, which killed 21 Indonesian and Chinese workers and injured many workers, has put President Joko Widodo’s downstreaming (hilirisasi) policy under the spotlight. This is not the first such incident: in fact, there have been reports of poor health and safety standards in several smelter sites constructed and operated by Chinese companies in Indonesia, and several accidents.... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3249124/will-china-concerns-prove-decisive-indonesias-presidential-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3249124/will-china-concerns-prove-decisive-indonesias-presidential-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jan 2024 02:00:19 +0000 As Indonesia gears up to hold its next presidential election in February 2024, major powers will be hoping that a friendly new president will be voted in amid the US-China rivalry. It seems that Washington has already begun to approach some of the potential presidential candidates to get to know them better, while Beijing has not yet made such moves. According to recent Indonesian surveys, there are three candidates for president whose electability is above 20 per cent: Defence Minister Prabowo... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3217849/us-gets-know-indonesias-anies-baswedan-and-ganjar-pranowo-china-likely-do-same?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3217849/us-gets-know-indonesias-anies-baswedan-and-ganjar-pranowo-china-likely-do-same?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Apr 2023 00:30:14 +0000 From Zhou Enlai to Deng Xiaoping, Beijing’s policy towards Chinese overseas was luodi shenggen (to take local roots), which encouraged them to take local citizenship and integrate themselves into local society. In the 21st century, following the rise of China, this policy changed with a new wave of xinyimin (new migrants). Beijing advocated a policy of luoye guigen (return to original roots), thus blurring the distinction between huaqiao (Chinese nationals overseas) and huaren (foreign nationals... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3137620/indonesia-singapore-chinas-rise-affecting-ethnic-identities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3137620/indonesia-singapore-chinas-rise-affecting-ethnic-identities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Jun 2021 04:45:54 +0000 During Suharto’s reign of Indonesia from 1966 to 1998, the Chinese language was virtually eliminated. Publications and schools were shut, meaning Chinese-Indonesians under the age of 55 today are usually unable to read the language. Therefore, the only readers of Indonesia’s Chinese-language newspapers and magazines – which began re-emerging after the dictator’s fall – are usually older Chinese-Indonesians and recent migrants from China, or totoks. Nevertheless, there is still a small, if... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3099572/why-indonesias-pro-beijing-chinese-newspapers-are-slow-decline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3099572/why-indonesias-pro-beijing-chinese-newspapers-are-slow-decline?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2020 02:00:16 +0000 Migrants from China have been coming to Southeast Asia since the beginning of the 21st century. In Indonesia, these arrivals began flowing in around 2005. Known as xinyimin (literally, new migrants), some are investors, but most arrive as migrant workers, mainly working for China companies. According to official figures, there were 24,800 Chinese workers in Indonesia in 2017, most of whom were classified as skilled workers. However, many observers believe the real number may be double... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3090585/indonesia-new-chinese-migrants-not-welcome-chinese-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3090585/indonesia-new-chinese-migrants-not-welcome-chinese-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Jun 2020 02:00:14 +0000 Australia’s decision last weekend to recognise West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital has prompted an outburst from Malaysia, and is likely to strain Canberra’s relationship with other Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Indonesia, Australia’s closest neighbour, is probably its biggest concern because a US$12 billion trade deal is at stake. The Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement has been in the works for eight years and was supposed to be... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2178763/australias-support-israel-puts-indonesian-trade-deal-line?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2178763/australias-support-israel-puts-indonesian-trade-deal-line?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Dec 2018 00:03:15 +0000