Why Southeast Asia is Drifting Away from Washington

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The geopolitical landscape of Southeast Asia is undergoing a tectonic shift. For decades, the United States was viewed as the indispensable powerthe security guarantor that allowed the region’s tiger economies to flourish. However, recent events, culminating in the devastating economic fallout of the Iran war, have accelerated a trend that many in Washington failed to see coming: Southeast Asia is increasingly looking toward Beijing, not out of ideological love, but out of pragmatic necessity. This shift is not merely a preference for one superpower over another; it is a profound vote of no confidence in the predictability and reliability of Western leadership. The Credibility Gap: From Trade Wars to Kinetic Wars The erosion of trust didn't happen overnight. It began with a series of inconsistent trade policies and sudden tariffs that left regional exportersfrom Malaysia to Vietnamreeling. When global leadership feels like a moving target, Southeast Asian nations, which prioritize...
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Korea and Indonesia are working together to make an EV ecosystem

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South Korea and Indonesia are collaborating to build the electric car ecosystem in Indonesia, with efforts to make the country the world's top lithium battery manufacturer by 2027.

The Indonesian government has agreed to grant tax breaks of up to 11% to buyers of electric vehicles to encourage demand. 

Hyundai Motor is the main EV manufacturer in Indonesia, with its local facility producing the best-selling Ioniq 5. 

The automaker intends to increase its EV sales to 10,000 units this year, with plans to build a battery cell facility and battery pack plant in Bekasi.

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