Indonesia

Economics

Military & Security

Politics

Indonesia will create 500 new infantry battalions over five years in an initiative by President Prabowo Subianto and endorsed by his cabinet to embed the military deeper into social welfare programs, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 21.

Indonesia: 500 New Battalions To Be Created, Carry Out Social Programs

Demonstrators clashed with authorities over a property tax hike in Bone regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, rumored among residents to be 300%, though the local government says the actual rate was 65%, The Jakarta Post reported Aug. 20.

Indonesia: Tax Hikes Trigger Rash of Violent Protests

Indonesia launched its most extensive military reorganization since the Suharto era, adding 20 new regional army, navy and air force commands, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 11.

Indonesia: Jakarta Further Bolsters Military With 20 New Commands

Turkey

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Indonesia and Turkey finalized contracts to deliver 48 Turkish KAAN fifth-generation fighter jets following Indonesia's recent purchase of two Turkish Istif-class frigates, Defense News reported on July 29.

Indonesia, Turkey: Sales Deepen Defense, Technology Cooperation

Indonesia's military signed an agreement with the national food and drug agency to manufacture and distribute medicines through army-run labs, marking the military's first foray into public pharmaceutical production, Reuters reported on July 23.

Indonesia: Military Role in Civilian Governance Expands via Pharmaceutical Sector

United States

The White House issued a joint statement on July 22 providing key details of the July 15 U.S.-Indonesia trade deal, including broad exemptions for U.S. companies from nontariff barriers such as local content rules, product standards and digital trade restrictions. 

Indonesia, U.S.: New Trade Deal Details Unveiled

Thailand

Vietnam

Facing a 36% U.S. tariff threat, Thailand proposed eliminating tariffs and nontariff barriers on 90% of U.S. goods -- up from 60% -- in a last-ditch bid to reach a deal before U.S. President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 deadline, Bloomberg reported on July 17.

Thailand, U.S.: Following Other Deals, Bangkok Races To Beat Tariff Clock

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has confirmed that he and U.S. President Donald Trump have reached a trade deal after Trump's July 15 unilateral announcement that will see Indonesian exports receive a 19% tariff (down from the previously proposed 32%), and the United States will receive full access to the Indonesian market, The Jakarta Globe reported July 16. 

Indonesia, U.S.: Jakarta Confirms Trade Deal with Washington

Assessments

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The Geopolitics of Trade

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Mercosur is increasingly opening its markets in pursuit of free trade agreements with partners around the world, particularly as U.S. protectionism shifts global trade dynamics.

The Geopolitics of Trade: What Changing Trade Dynamics Mean for Mercosur

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Containers are unloaded from a ship at a terminal of Tanjung Priok Port, the main seaport in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 24, 2025. 

In exchange for a lower U.S. tariff rate, Indonesia accepted significant concessions, including purchasing commitments and regulatory changes, that risk limiting its long-term autonomy and industrial policy goals.

To Avoid Steeper Tariffs, Indonesia Reaches High-Stakes Trade Deal With the U.S.

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The impending full implementation of sweeping U.S. tariffs threatens to significantly disrupt export-driven ASEAN economies, which is driving countries to seek alternative trade partners.

The Geopolitics of Trade: U.S. Tariffs Give Impetus to ASEAN Trade Diversification

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French President Emmanuel Macron holds a press briefing during his trip to Singapore on May 30, 2025. 

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The deals reached with Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam expand France's role in Southeast Asia amid shifting global trade and defense dynamics, a welcome development for a region increasingly pinned between the U.S. and China.

Macron's Southeast Asia Tour Deepens French Footprint in the Region

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto speaks during an economic event in Jakarta on April 8, 2025.

The president's efforts to consolidate power via welfare populism and security-minded governance could face challenges if economic headwinds strengthen, especially amid looming U.S. tariff threats.

How Subianto Is Making His Mark on Indonesian Politics

Timor-Leste

Myanmar

The flags of the countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, are seen on display.

Malaysia's chairmanship will be pivotal in navigating security risks as well as those from U.S. trade restrictions, potential Chinese economic coercion, and supply chain realignments that threaten ASEAN's cohesion and strategic autonomy.

Previewing Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship

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The lobby of the headquarters for the U.S. Agency for International Development is seen on Feb. 3, 2025, in Washington, D.C. 

Social Issues

Cuts to U.S.-funded humanitarian and development programs could worsen global health outcomes, destabilize security environments, accelerate democratic backsliding, and create opportunities for rival powers to expand their influence.

The Global Implications of Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hold a joint press conference on Jan. 10, 2025.

Japan is intensifying its diplomatic and security engagement in Southeast Asia through defense, trade and infrastructure agreements to counterbalance China and enhance regional stability.

Ishiba Strengthens Japan's Role in Southeast Asia With Defense and Trade Deals

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The West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 17 in Washington. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as U.S. president on Jan. 20.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: The Gaza Ceasefire, Trump's Inauguration

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U.S. President Joe Biden gestures to reporters after landing on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. 

Trump's more aggressive and transactional approach could deliver quick wins for the U.S.'s position in the region, though it could also strain ties with key partners. 

Trump's Asia-Pacific Approach Will Test Biden's Gains

Kenya

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Vehicles pass by a banner thanking outgoing Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and congratulating President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka ahead of their Oct. 20 inauguration in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Oct. 17, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: An Impeachment Case in Kenya, an Inauguration in Indonesia

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What are the major issues on Subianto's policy agenda? 

Essential Geopolitics: What to Expect from Indonesia's New President

The geopolitical foundation of modern Indonesia is the seas and ports that integrate the country's islands that stretch from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Of Indonesia's more than 17,000 islands, about 6,000 are populated by more than 300 ethnolinguistic cultures. The Dutch first consolidated large parts of modern Indonesia by the 19th century, and maintaining political unity of its culturally diverse islands poses the nation's primary geographic challenge. Indonesia's main island, Java, is home to about 60 percent of the country's population, with its largest ethnic group being the Javanese. Java is also Indonesia's agricultural heartland, producing coffee, sugarcane, rubber and rice. A spine of east-west volcanic mountains runs along the southern reaches of the island. These mountains orient Java's population to the north, toward the Java Sea. The Java Sea is the core of Indonesia, with the Karimata Strait, the Makassar Strait and the Flores Sea linking the main island of Java to its outer islands, stretching from Sumatra to Sulawesi to western New Guinea. These islands have been critical sources of oil, natural gas, copper and tin. Indonesia's disconnected landmasses and vast maritime stretches present difficulties and limitations to centralized control, as seen with the independence of East Timor in the 1990s and ongoing separatist concerns in Aceh and Irian Jaya. Holding this island nation together has required a strong central authority to balance regional aspirations and national interests &mdash; although it has tried to balance tight control with empowerment of regions in recent decades. Ultimately, Indonesia is burdened by the conflicting requirements of managing the populations of each island while expending resources to control its maritime core.

SITUATION REPORTS

Indonesia: 500 New Battalions To Be Created, Carry Out Social Programs

Indonesia: Tax Hikes Trigger Rash of Violent Protests

Indonesia: Jakarta Further Bolsters Military With 20 New Commands

Indonesia, Turkey: Sales Deepen Defense, Technology Cooperation

Indonesia: Military Role in Civilian Governance Expands via Pharmaceutical Sector

Indonesia, U.S.: New Trade Deal Details Unveiled

Thailand, U.S.: Following Other Deals, Bangkok Races To Beat Tariff Clock

Indonesia, U.S.: Jakarta Confirms Trade Deal with Washington

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