VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

China has launched a misinformation campaign that includes news reports Taiwan's president has an "escape plan" in the event of a Chinese invasion, aiming to sap morale as Beijing presses the island to accept its sovereignty, Taiwan officials said.

Taiwan is on high alert for what it sees as China's attempts to sway public opinion on the democratically governed island, including through illicitly funding Beijing-friendly candidates in the run-up to a presidential election next year, according to security reports reviewed by Reuters in June.

Taiwan will later this month hold its most important annual military exercises, known as the Han Kuang drills, that will include for the first time the temporary shutdown of its main international airport in a simulation of repelling enemies, as China ramps up military pressure on the island.

Starting in May, news reports that include misinformation on military activities by Taiwan and its main ally the United States have surfaced in Chinese state media, part of a campaign to sway opinion in Taiwan, according to several Taiwan officials with direct knowledge of the matter.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment.

At least a dozen of the news reports have said the Han Kuang exercises were in fact an "escape rehearsal" for Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and evacuation drills for U.S. citizens in the event of a Chinese invasion, said the officials, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"They want to portray the Han Kuang exercises into a rehearsal for an escape plan," said one of the officials familiar with Taiwan's security planning, adding that Beijing's aim was to create panic and weaken public trust in Taiwan's leadership.

The de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei declined to comment.

Some of the media reports were first published by online news sites run by China's Taiwan Affairs Office before appearing in media outlets in Taiwan and Hong Kong, according to the officials and a Reuters review of the reports.

The officials said the Chinese campaign was overseen by Beijing's Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, which is chaired by President Xi Jinping, and carried out by various government units including the Taiwan Affairs Office in Beijing.

Taiwan's China policy-making Mainland Affairs Office said in a statement to Reuters that Beijing is always trying to "damage the prestige of our government, divide Taiwanese society and weaken the support of the international community".

"The government will immediately clarify false information, and use specific actions to show its determination to defend itself," it added.

The Taiwan officials also dismissed as "propaganda" at least 10 reports by Chinese and Taiwan news outlets in recent weeks that have said Beijing is capable of destroying an entire U.S. carrier group in the Pacific with 24 ballistic missiles, citing a research paper based on a computer-generated war simulation published by a Chinese university linked to the People's Liberation Army.

Researchers who work closely with security officials in Taiwan have spent weeks trying to verify the report with computer-aided simulations but failed to recreate similar results, the sources said, calling the reports part of "Chinese propaganda" ahead of Taiwan's military exercises.

"They want to sell fear," said one of the sources, a senior official familiar with Taiwan's security planning.

"They want us to give up making preparations and surrender right away." (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - Youth and Sports Minister Dito Ariotedjo has said that the 2023 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation-Cultural Activity (OIC-CA) is expected to become a means of youth diplomacy and sports diplomacy.

Indonesia is hosting the OIC-CA in Jakarta and East Kalimantan from July 7 to 14, 2023.

At a press conference held at the Youth and Sports Ministry's media center here on Friday, Ariotedjo said that Indonesia is aiming to strengthen solidarity among the member countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

"Going forward, we want to strengthen collaboration between Islamic countries in the education sector, entrepreneurship, and also youth development, as well as cooperation in the field of sports," he added.

The minister said that being a host is a great honor and a chance to raise Indonesia's position on the global stage. Indonesia's diverse cultures, mutual respect among its people, and firm unity can be promoted among all participating countries.

"This is an excellent opportunity because Indonesia is one of the countries that have the biggest Muslim population in the world," he added.

On the same occasion, OIC's assistant secretary-general for humanitarian, social, and cultural affairs, Ambassador Tarig Bakheet, lauded Indonesia's continued involvement in supporting OIC activities, including the establishment of the Department of Youth.

He said that Indonesia, as the host, has special significance given that it has the largest Muslim population in the world.

Indonesia could set an example because, despite it being home to diverse cultures, ethnicities, and races, its people can coexist peacefully, he added.

The 2023 OIC-CA features several activities in the form of visits and meetings, which began on Friday in Jakarta and will next be concentrated in East Kalimantan until July 14.  (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his entourage were in good condition after a magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit Jayapura on Friday, an official said.

"The president is in good condition and did not feel the earthquake," said Bey Machmudin, Deputy for Press, Media, and Information Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat, in a brief message.

Jokowi has been on a working visit to Jayapura, Papua, since Wednesday evening.

They were having lunch at a restaurant in Numbai, South Jayapura District, Jayapura City when the earthquake struck at 1:25 p.m.

At that time, some cabinet members were accompanying the president, including Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, Armed Forces Commander Admiral Yudo Margono, and Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo.

"We didn't expect an earthquake. We were having lunch and didn't feel the earthquake," remarked Machmudin.

According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the epicenter of the earthquake was 53 km northwest of Jayapura District and 10 km underwater. The earthquake did not have the potential to cause a tsunami. (Antaranews)

VOINews, Jakarta - Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita invited the Chinese government to cooperate in the nation's pharmaceutical industry and bioprospecting green industry.

The offer was extended by the minister during a meeting with the Chinese Minister of Industry and Information Technology, Jin Zhuanglong, during a working visit to Shenzhen, China on Tuesday.

"The Indonesian health system is one of the biggest in the world, reaching 240 million population with turnover value of US$40 billion," he informed in a statement released on Thursday.

"Because of this, pharmaceutical industry structure deepening is very important to be done," he said.

Indonesia expects the development of investment from China in medicinal raw materials in addition to paracetamol. This is because medicinal raw materials have not been explored, causing Indonesia to rely on imports.

Another cooperation that Indonesia has offered involves the development of a green industry that prioritizes efficiency and effectiveness in the sustainable use of resources.

According to the minister, green industry is also important given the rising market demand for green products and regulations related to sustainable practices in the global market.

These regulations include ecolabel, carbon tax, carbon border adjustment mechanism, environmental management system, or other certificates that ensure resource legality.

In this case, the minister said he expects that Indonesia and China will cooperate to develop green products through the bioprospecting industry, which processes biological resources, including plants, microorganisms, and animals.

"One of the potential resources for this industry that Indonesia has are seaweed and microalgae, which can be processed into bio(-based) product raw materials, including for bioplastic, biofuels, and fertilizers," he added.

The minister said he expects to immediately discuss this and produce a binding agreement with China on manufacturing development in the two countries. (Antaranews)