Posted in: Foreign Policy

For national elites, China is now widely seen as a providential partner whose capital and technology are pivotal for a development agenda centred on infrastructure, digitalisation and downstreaming activities. But while Chinese funding has helped Indonesia rise up the value chain, it is clear this comes at a high cost to local people and the natural environment.

Formal diplomatic relations do not exist between Israel and Indonesia so direct interactions between these two peoples are rare. Yet as Indonesia’s expanding middle classes enjoy greater access to international travel, Muslim and Christian Indonesians are increasingly visiting the holy land. Have these encounters shifted the perceptions of these pilgrims about the conflict Israel-Palestine conflict? Jemma Purdey explores this question with anthropologist Mirjam Lücking.

When Indonesia took over the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2023, the organisation was in need of strong leadership. Ultimately, Jakarta failed to offer much-needed leadership on new norms and principles to maintain ASEAN’s unity and relevance. But it did secure several tangible deliverables during its time as chair.