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Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

China

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Philippines

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

A Chinese coast guard ship sails past anchored Philippine fishing boats in the Scarborough Shoal, in the disputed South China Sea, on Feb. 3, 2023.

Military & Security

Politics

A binding code of conduct in the South China Sea remains unlikely, despite the resumption of negotiations between claimant states.

With No Deal in Sight, South China Sea Claimants Continue to Militarize

United States

Egypt

Israel

United Kingdom

Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani (2 L) speaks during the G-20 Finance Ministers Meeting on July 15, 2022, in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia. Indonesia will host the annual G-20 summit on Nov. 15-16.

Energy

Environment, Science & Technology

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

The Weekly Rundown: Indonesia Hosts a G-20 Summit, Netanyahu Seeks to Build a New Government

U.S.-China Relations

A woman in Jakarta, Indonesia, walks past a logo for the upcoming G-20 Summit in Bali on Nov. 8, 2022. 

Economics

If he can keep conversations between world leaders on-topic and cordial, President Jokowi will prove the Southeast Asian country's credibility as an international mediator.

What's at Stake as Indonesia Hosts Its First G-20 Summit

Media

Podcasts

An export ban on raw ore could be great for Indonesia's economy.

Essential Geopolitics: Indonesia's Plan for Nickel Ore

Social Issues

The Weekly Rundown: U.S. Midterm Elections, ASEAN Meets

A worker uses a furnace during the nickel smelting process at Indonesian mining company PT Vale Indonesia's smelting plant in Soroako, South Sulawesi province, on March 30, 2019.

With the help of investments from foreign firms like Tesla, the island nation is seeking to produce more of the higher-value nickel products used in EV batteries. 

Indonesia Gambles on Refined Nickel Amid the Global Energy Transition

Southeast Asian governments will need sustained vigilance to prevent a resurgence in localized violence.

Essential Geopolitics: The State of Violent Extremism in Southeast Asia

Capitalizing on its role as leader of the G-20 and at a global crossroads for trade, Indonesia shows its strength in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Essential Geopolitics: Indonesia on the Rise

Benin

Cameroon

Guinea Bissau

Tunisia

France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Feb. 17, 2022, in Brussels.

The Weekly Rundown: Jokowi Visits Beijing, Macron Visits Sub-Saharan Africa

Australia

Japan

New Zealand

South Korea

India

A photo taken on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo shows U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attending a video call with leaders from countries in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. 

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

The narrow scope of the initiative will limit its effectiveness in achieving Washington’s goal of countering China’s regional rise.

The Stumbling Blocks of Biden's New Indo-Pacific Economic Bloc

Supply Chains

How Indonesia is transforming from a raw materials exporter to a producer.

Essential Geopolitics: Indonesia's Changing Economy

Snapshots

Indonesian soldiers stand guard near a French Rafale fighter jet at a military base in Blang Bintang, Indonesia, on May 19, 2019.

Defending against Beijing's competing South China Sea claims will force Jakarta to accept the potential economic cost of Chinese retaliation.

Indonesia's Military Development Risks Drawing China's Ire

Security

Modernizing China’s Military

Indonesian export bans on unprocessed tin, copper and bauxite are set to go into effect on June 10, Nikkei Asia reported on May 23.

Indonesia: Deadline for Critical Minerals Export Bans Nears

Europe

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo that he will push for EU-Indonesia negotiations over a free trade agreement (FTA) to "get over the finish line" to reduce the bloc's reliance on China for raw materials, AP reported on April 17.

EU, Indonesia: Germany Pushes for FTA With Indonesia to Reduce EU's Dependency on China

International soccer governing body FIFA stripped Indonesia of all rights to host the Under-20 World Cup championship after local protests led the country's soccer authority to cancel an Israeli match and two governors on Borneo called to ban the national team entirely, Al Jazeera reported on March 29.

Indonesia, Israel: FIFA Pulls Indonesia's Hosting Rights Over Refusal to Host Israeli Team

Indonesia's House of Representatives voted to pass President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's emergency jobs decree into law, The Jakarta Post reported on March 21.

Indonesia: Jakarta Passes Controversial Jobs Law to Boost Foreign Investment

Kao Kim Hourn, the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said the bloc and Japan will elevate ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" before or during a special summit celebrating 50 years of relations in December, Kyodo News reported March 8.

Japan, ASEAN: 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Is Forthcoming

Cyber

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) circulated an alert revealing that Chinese-linked hackers stole 30 GB of data and over 10,000 emails from ASEAN countries and the ASEAN secretariat in February 2022, BenarNews reported March 3.

China, ASEAN: Trove of Stolen Data Revealed Ahead of South China Sea Negotiations

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi announced an intention to "intensify" negotiations on the unrealized South China Sea code of conduct ahead of the next round of talks in March, The Straits Times reported Feb. 22.

China, Indonesia: Parties to Revisit, 'Intensify' South China Sea Code of Conduct Negotiations

Indonesia is bolstering its maritime defense capabilities around its Natuna Islands (which China also claims) ahead of the development of the islands' Tuna oil and gas block, Nikkei Asia reported Jan. 24.

Indonesia: Navy Increases Activity Around Natuna Islands

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Armenia

Bahrain

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Barbados

Maldives

Malta

Ukraine

Belize

Botswana

Iran

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Germany

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Finland

Nepal

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Libya

Russia

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Saudi Arabia

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

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.

Female

Male

Indonesia and Vietnam agreed to an official demarcation of their maritime exclusive economic zones (EEZ), Antara reported Dec. 22.

Indonesia, Vietnam: Countries Reach EEZ Demarcation Agreement

SITUATION REPORTS

Indonesia: Deadline for Critical Minerals Export Bans Nears

EU, Indonesia: Germany Pushes for FTA With Indonesia to Reduce EU's Dependency on China

Indonesia, Israel: FIFA Pulls Indonesia's Hosting Rights Over Refusal to Host Israeli Team

Indonesia: Jakarta Passes Controversial Jobs Law to Boost Foreign Investment

Japan, ASEAN: 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership' Is Forthcoming

China, ASEAN: Trove of Stolen Data Revealed Ahead of South China Sea Negotiations

China, Indonesia: Parties to Revisit, 'Intensify' South China Sea Code of Conduct Negotiations

Indonesia: Navy Increases Activity Around Natuna Islands

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