https://www.scmp.com/rss/509408/feed Akhmad Hanan is the chief technology officer at Bauran Semesta Raya, a newly established AI- and people-centred technology company based in Indonesia. He earned his bachelor's degree in oceanography at Diponegoro University in Central Java. He also gained a master's degree in energy security from the Indonesia Defence University in 2017. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Akhmad Hanan Akhmad Hanan As global competition in autonomous driving intensifies, Europe has emerged as the latest frontier for China’s rapidly advancing self-driving technology. Start-ups such as Pony.ai, WeRide, AutoX, DeepRoute.ai, Momenta and Baidu’s Apollo Go are expanding their trials and partnerships across European cities, transforming Europe into the next stage of technological rivalry. What began as a domestic race to outpace US giants such as Waymo and Cruise has evolved into a transcontinental contest for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3329619/how-chinas-self-driving-cars-are-shaping-europes-tech-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3329619/how-chinas-self-driving-cars-are-shaping-europes-tech-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 12:30:10 +0000 Akhmad Hanan Akhmad Hanan The failure of trade negotiations between India and the United States after five intense rounds of talks marks a critical moment in the bilateral relationship between the two nations. The US tariff on Indian goods now stands at an eye-watering 50 per cent – 25 per cent effective from August 7, and a further 25 per cent levied to penalise India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. The additional tariff, announced last week, is expected to take effect on August 27. With bilateral trade valued at... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3321416/india-must-learn-lessons-us-trade-deal-failure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3321416/india-must-learn-lessons-us-trade-deal-failure?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Akhmad Hanan Akhmad Hanan This month’s Brics summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marked a pivotal moment that reflects shifting global power dynamics. By consolidating into a stronger multipolar bloc, emerging economies are effectively challenging the long-standing dominance of a Western-led order. Brics released a joint statement, criticising unilateral tariffs and non-tariff measures that disrupt global trade. The statement called for reforms of institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3317503/trump-targets-brics-indonesias-autonomy-hangs-balance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3317503/trump-targets-brics-indonesias-autonomy-hangs-balance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Jul 2025 21:30:07 +0000 Akhmad Hanan Akhmad Hanan Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) has made headlines again – this time for its US$4.6 billion debut on the Hong Kong stock exchange, the world’s largest initial public offering this year. CATL’s shares surged as much as 18 per cent, a signal of both investor confidence and the company’s carefully orchestrated industrial dominance. Beyond a financial triumph, it was a strategic manoeuvre in a rapidly changing geopolitical and industrial landscape. In opting for... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3311242/picking-hong-kong-over-new-york-catls-ipo-was-strategic-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3311242/picking-hong-kong-over-new-york-catls-ipo-was-strategic-move?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 May 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Worryingly, the US seems unconcerned about triggering a potential conflict with Russia in the Black Sea. On March 14, its MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed into the sea after an encounter with two Russian Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft. As tensions rose and despite Russian complaints, the US quickly resumed its intelligence mission over the sea with another drone, the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The US also said that one of the SU-27s had deliberately struck the propeller of the Reaper drone, causing it to crash.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214356/us-russia-dialogue-must-prevail-stormy-black-sea-after-drone-crash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3214356/us-russia-dialogue-must-prevail-stormy-black-sea-after-drone-crash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Mar 2023 19:30:09 +0000 The world is in transition with regards to energy sources, especially in the transport sector, where the shift from cars powered by fossil fuels to electric vehicles using batteries and hydrogen fuel cells is gaining pace. Electric vehicle manufacturers from various countries are now competing against China, the world’s largest source of electric vehicle sales and business. At a visit to Ford’s auto plant in Michigan in May, US President Joe Biden admitted that his country is a few steps behind... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3138265/can-chinese-ev-makers-get-jump-tesla-and-tap-partners-southeast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3138265/can-chinese-ev-makers-get-jump-tesla-and-tap-partners-southeast?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jun 2021 17:30:00 +0000 Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Indonesia has began its transition towards clean energy, especially in its transport sector, which is the largest user of fossil fuels after the industrial sector. Such a move will increase Indonesia’s energy security, reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. To support this transition, the government plans to replace vehicles with traditional internal combustion engines, with electric vehicles. It will be a massive endeavour in a country with 133 million vehicles,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127216/indonesias-move-towards-electric-vehicles-and-clean-energy-will-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3127216/indonesias-move-towards-electric-vehicles-and-clean-energy-will-be?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Mar 2021 04:30:11 +0000