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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Indonesia to Modernize National Biometric Infrastructure by Unifying Legacy ABIS Platforms

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Indonesia is preparing to modernize its national biometric infrastructure through a proposed ABIS upgrade project aimed at unifying multiple legacy biometric systems. The initiative is being led by Dukcapil under the Ministry of Home Affairs, with the objective of creating a scalable and interoperable automated biometric identification system.

The project seeks to enhance civil registration accuracy, improve digital identity adoption, and strengthen service delivery across both public and private sectors. By consolidating fragmented systems, the government aims to reduce inefficiencies and support broader digital transformation goals.

In collaboration with the World Bank, Indonesia has already initiated a market sounding exercise to engage biometric vendors worldwide. This step is expected to shape the final procurement process and ensure the selection of advanced, future-ready solutions.

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