JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s top defense official said Wednesday that Jakarta will acquire at least 42 Chinese-made Chengdu J-10C fighter jets, marking the country’s first non-Western aircraft purchase deal. Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters in the capital, Jakarta, that Indonesia would soon buy fighter jets from China as part of a plan to…
By Ananda Teresia and Bernadette Christina JAKARTA (Reuters) -Health-focused non-governmental organisations on Monday urged the government to temporarily halt President Prabowo Subianto’s flagship free school meals programme, days after 500 children became sick in the biggest mass food poisoning outbreak so far. The $10 billion programme has reached more than 20 million recipients since its…
Prabowo had earlier decided to cancel the trip because of widespread protests at home. But he showed up for the parade in a grey suit on the morning of September 3, taking a seat at the rostrum beside Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who was to the right of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sources said the…
The Chinese embassy in Jakarta warned Chinese citizens in Indonesia to avoid crowds on the weekend as an outbreak of protests forced the Indonesian president to cancel his trip to China. “[Citizens and agencies should] improve security precautions, closely monitor local developments, minimise non-essential outings, steer clear of protest crowds and areas, and avoid visiting…
America’s envoy to Beijing is expected to skip China’s military parade next week, joining what appears to be a concerted effort by Western missions to opt out of the grand event despite Chinese pressure. The South China Morning Post has learned from multiple sources that US ambassador David Perdue is unlikely to attend the parade…
China has lodged a protest with Japan after Tokyo reportedly asked foreign leaders not to attend next month’s parade in Beijing to mark the end of World War II. Citing anonymous diplomatic sources, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday that Japanese embassies abroad had been warning that the Victory Day events had anti-Japanese overtones….
China is gearing up for an intense week of diplomacy as it finalises preparations for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin this month, followed by a grand military parade in Beijing to commemorate the end of World War II. All eyes will be on how China asserts its diplomatic clout and positions itself as…
Top Southeast Asian leaders are expected to attend China’s military parade next month to commemorate the end of World War II, in what would be a show of Beijing’s growing influence in the region. Many countries are said to be sending more senior delegations than they did a decade ago, when the first such parade…
By Ananda Teresia JAKARTA (Reuters) -Indonesia’s military will begin manufacturing medicines for public distribution under a new agreement, officials said on Tuesday, in the latest expansion of the armed forces’ role in civilian affairs since President Prabowo Subianto took office. The president, a former defence minister and special forces commander, has expanded the powerful military’s…