Latest news with #southeastasia
Malay Mail
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Indonesia, China break ground on US$5.9b EV battery hub in West Java
JAKARTA, June 30 — The Indonesian government has officially launched the construction of an integrated facility for the production of electric vehicle batteries in the Karawang area of West Java. The project is being developed jointly with China and is estimated at US$5.9 billion (RM24.9 billion), according to the Jakarta Globe, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti. The project is expected to be one of the key steps towards turning Indonesia into a leading hub for the electric vehicle industry in South-east Asia. The construction is being carried out as part of a joint venture between state-owned mining company Aneka Tambang (Antam), the Indonesia Battery Corporation (IBC), and a Chinese consortium led by Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Limited (CATL), Brunp Recycling and Lygend Resources. The ceremony to launch the construction was led by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The production cluster will be located on an area of 3,000 hectares and will create up to 8,000 jobs. The project also plans to implement 18 related infrastructure facilities, including the construction of a universal seaport. Commercial operation of the battery plant is scheduled to be launched in late 2026. — Bernama-Sputnik/RIANovosti
Reuters
22-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Macron to pitch France as reliable alternative on Asia tour amid US-China rivalry
PARIS, May 22 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron will travel to south east Asia to pitch France and Europe as reliable partners with "no strings attached" as the U.S. and China use more aggressive ways to gain influence in the region, officials said. Macron is set to arrive in Hanoi on Sunday, the first trip to Vietnam by a French president in nearly a decade, move on to Indonesia and finish up in Singapore, where he will speak at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's top defence conference. Macron will present France and Europe as defenders of international cooperation and rules-based trade, at a time when other world powers such as the U.S. under President Donald Trump and China use more "coercive" or "predatory" methods. "As far as we're concerned, we defend the idea of rules for international trade, we don't advocate for the law of the jungle, where it's about survival of the fittest," a French presidential adviser said on Wednesday. Export-reliant Vietnam was caught off guard by the threat of high tariffs from the U.S. and France, and is keen to diversify its supply sources and markets to rely less on China. Dozens of deals were being prepared and could be signed during the three state visits, the Elysee told Reuters earlier. Macron is following leaders of China, Japan and other European countries in visiting the region in recent weeks, in a sign of south east Asia's strategic importance amid uncertainties on global supply chains and trade. The French leader will also use a speech to Indonesian students and the Singapore conference to dispel "misunderstandings" about the European position on conflicts beyond the region, denying any double standards on Gaza and framing Ukraine as not solely a European issue. Macron's criticism of Israel has become more strident over recent months, calling Benjamin Netanyahu's action in Gaza "shameful", which French officials hope will resonate in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country. Asked whether Indonesia, which has bought French-made Rafale warplanes, may need reassuring after at least one similar jet from the Indian army was downed by Pakistan, the French presidential adviser said the trip was not about specific "news items". "Unlike with the United States or other countries, French partners know there's "no strings attached" with (our material)," he said.
Reuters
12-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Vietnam, Russia agree to quickly sign nuclear power plant deal
HANOI, May 12 (Reuters) - Vietnam and Russia have agreed to quickly negotiate and sign agreements on building nuclear power plants in Vietnam, the two countries said in a joint statement. "The development of the plants with advanced technology will strictly be compliant with nuclear and radiation safety regulations and for the benefit of socio-economic development," they said in the statement, which was dated Sunday and followed a visit to Moscow by Vietnamese leader To Lam.
