https://www.scmp.com/rss/523758/feed Ronny P. Sasmita is a senior analyst at the Indonesia Strategic and Economics Action Institution. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ronny P. Sasmita Ronny P. Sasmita Southeast Asia is quietly emerging as a key arena in the global race for rare earth elements, the critical minerals powering everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to renewable energy systems and advanced weapons. As the world moves towards clean energy and digital transformation, control over these minerals has become central to geopolitical competition. While China still dominates global production and refining, countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam find themselves... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3331100/can-southeast-asia-benefit-global-race-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3331100/can-southeast-asia-benefit-global-race-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Ronny P. Sasmita Ronny P. Sasmita Indonesia’s decision to purchase 42 Chinese-made J-10 fighter jets marks more than a military procurement; it reinforces Jakarta’s strategic outlook and signals a broader shift in Asia’s defence dynamics. Under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia is charting a defence modernisation course that reflects both ambition and pragmatism in a multipolar world. The deal, worth roughly US$9 billion, follows Indonesia’s earlier contracts with France for the Rafale and with Turkey for the KAAN stealth... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3329747/what-indonesias-purchase-chinese-j-10-jets-means-asian-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3329747/what-indonesias-purchase-chinese-j-10-jets-means-asian-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 01:30:11 +0000 Ronny P. Sasmita Ronny P. Sasmita Sanae Takaichi’s victory in Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership race marks not just the rise of the country’s first female prime minister in waiting, but also a symbolic shift in Japan’s ideological compass. Long known as a staunch conservative and nationalist, Takaichi’s ascent signals the possible end of the centrist pragmatism that characterised the Shinzo Abe and Fumio Kishida years. Her win sets Japan on a trajectory that could reshape its domestic economy, foreign policy and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328185/how-sanae-takaichis-rise-could-reshape-japan-and-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328185/how-sanae-takaichis-rise-could-reshape-japan-and-asias-future?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000