Indonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono has discussed deregulation measures with US Senator Mario Rubio, emphasizing cooperation amid global geopolitical tensions. The two ministers also touched on regional issues such as the South China Sea and Palestine, where Sugiono highlighted President Prabowo's efforts to promote peace through visits to Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, and Turkey. Indonesia is prepared to temporarily evacuate injured Palestinians from Gaza for medical treatment in Indonesia, with plans for their eventual repatriation.
https://en.tempo.co/read/1997765/indonesia-and-u-s-reaffirm-commitment-to-bilateral-cooperationA specialist military publication, Janes, has stood by its story that Russia requested to base long-range warplanes in Indonesia, despite Indonesian officials denying the claim. The report, which cited anonymous sources within the Indonesian government, claimed Russia had asked to base aircraft at a military base in Papua. However, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Rolliansyah Soemirat said Indonesia has never granted permission for foreign military bases and would only permit peaceful visits from other nations. Russia's ambassador to Indonesia, Sergei Tolchenov, issued a statement that appeared to justify the move, while former Home Affairs Department secretary Mike Pezzullo suggested semantics could explain the conflicting claims.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/it-is-accurate-website-stands-by-controversial-russian-aircraft-story-20250417-p5lsfh.htmlSingapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed concern over the US postponing most of its proposed tariffs, saying it has created great uncertainty worldwide. The delay until July does not alleviate concerns as the US still imposes a 10% baseline tariff. Wong warned that the trade war between the US and China would lead to a halt in trading between the countries, affecting economies globally. This sentiment is particularly relevant for Singapore's small, open economy, which has been impacted by Trump's trade policies. The country's central bank recently loosened monetary policy, while its economic growth forecast was lowered for 2025.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2025/04/17/singapore-pm-wong-us-tariffs-delay-offers-little-comfort-as-trade-war-pain-will-be-felt-everywhere/173359The US government has acknowledged the genocide committed by the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, a paramilitary group. The Trump administration had previously refused to directly acknowledge the determination of genocide against the group. Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the bloodshed as "the world's largest humanitarian catastrophe" on January 7. This acknowledgement comes ahead of the two-year anniversary of the start of the Sudanese civil war between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/04/16/sudan-genocide-declaration-trump-administration/8361744838755/The World Trade Organization (WTO) has warned that global trade is expected to plummet this year due to President Donald Trump's tariff offensive, with merchandise trade forecast to fall 0.2 percent in 2025 and grow only 2.5 percent in 2026. The WTO chief, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, expressed concern over the "severe negative consequences" for vulnerable economies, citing a potential decline of 81 percent in US-China trade volumes. The organization also warned that services trade could be adversely affected, with global commercial services trade forecast to grow by only 4.0 percent.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/money/2025/04/17/wto-warns-trump-tariffs-could-slash-global-trade-spark-7pc-gdp-hit-from-us-china-decoupling/173355The US is preparing to ask countries to limit China's manufacturing capabilities by imposing secondary tariffs on Chinese goods, in exchange for tariff concessions. In response, China has increased tariffs on US imports to as high as 125%. Chinese President Xi Jinping has embarked on a regional tour, visiting Southeast Asia and receiving support from countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised Xi as an "extraordinary leader" and expressed opposition to Taiwan's independence, while Vietnam signed 45 economic deals with China during his visit.
https://www.tbsnews.net/worldbiz/asia/xi-urges-asian-family-unity-trump-seeks-confine-china-1118201The United Nations special envoy Nicholas Haysom has urged the Security Council to intervene in South Sudan's escalating conflict between President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar, warning that it is "darkly reminiscent" of the 2013 and 2016 conflicts that resulted in over 400,000 lives. The rivalry has degenerated into direct military confrontation, fueled by misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech on social media, particularly among the Nuer ethnic group.
https://apnews.com/article/un-south-sudan-civil-war-humanitarian-ethnic-86c1597941b6e972005ada18f60e6253China is presenting itself as a source of stability and certainty to Southeast Asian countries amid US tariffs, threatening export-oriented economies that rely heavily on the US market. The visit coincides with Cambodia's 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975, which resulted in an estimated 1.7 million deaths under Maoist-inspired policies. China was a key backer of the Khmer Rouge and has maintained strong ties with Cambodia, becoming its largest trading partner with over $15 billion in trade value in 2024. Beijing's expansion of the Ream Naval Base on Cambodia's southern coast has raised concerns about it potentially becoming a strategic Chinese naval outpost in the Gulf of Thailand.
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/chinas-xi-visits-cambodia-to-cap-3-nation-south-asia-tour-208181China's growing influence in Cambodia is evident in Sihanoukville, where a Chinese-renovated naval base has been inaugurated despite Phnom Penh's assurances it won't be used exclusively by Beijing. The city's GDP per capita is around double the Cambodian average, driven by a Chinese-run manufacturing hub. However, concerns over debt sustainability and economic overreliance on China persist, with Cambodia heavily dependent on Chinese capital. Meanwhile, Chinese investment projects have had mixed outcomes, including a luxury seafront shopping resort in Sihanoukville that has been criticized as a "ghost city" with empty buildings. The country's economy is also vulnerable to the impact of Beijing's island-building and territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea.
https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2025/04/17/chinas-investments-transform-sihanoukville-into-gambling-hub-amid-debt-and-dependency-concerns/173315