VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The United States is set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces, two U.S. officials said on Thursday, at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Reuters reported in 2021 that a small number of U.S. special operations forces have been rotating into Taiwan on a temporary basis to train their forces.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the Pentagon was expected to increase that number in the coming months.

One of the officials said the exact number of increased troops was unclear, but the move was unrelated to recent tensions over the shootdown of a Chinese spy balloon which flew across the United States.

The balloon caused a political uproar in Washington and prompted Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to Beijing that both countries had hoped would steady their rocky relations.

"We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but I would highlight that our support for, and defense relationship with, Taiwan remains aligned against the current threat posed by the People's Republic of China," a Pentagon spokesman said.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Friday, Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said he "didn't know" the source of the information about expanded training. He added Taiwan and the United States had a lot of military interaction, and declined further comment.

The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Taiwan's official Central News Agency this week reported that a battalion of around 500 soldiers would go to the United States for training this year.

Chu indirectly confirmed that some soldiers would head to the United States for training that would be more tactical than in the past, but did not provide details of numbers.

China sees Taiwan as a wayward province and has not ruled out taking the island by force. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its democracy and freedom.

The United States is Taiwan's largest supplier of weaponry and has long offered some degree of training on weapons systems, as well as detailed advice on ways to strengthen its military to guard against an invasion by China's Peoples Liberation Army. (Reuters)

Jakarta (voinews): The Industry Ministry is aiming to produce up to 1.6 million cars this year given the high global uncertainty being experienced currently, a ministry official Dodiet Prasetyo has said.

The target is slightly higher than the car production recorded in 2022 of around 1.5 million units, he informed at a discussion entitled "Step on the Gas to Reach 2 Million Cars Target” here on Thursday.

"Thus, in 2023, we expect that we can reach more than 1.6 million. Why is this target not too big? Because we know there is still uncertainty that greatly affects industry development in the future," he added.

Despite this, the government is pushing the industry to expand the export market, he said.

So far, at least 400 thousand of the 1.5 million cars produced in 2022 have been exported, primarily to ASEAN countries.

"The expansion of the export market certainly can increase the existing production target," the official explained.

The target has been set based on the achievement in the previous year and will continue to be evaluated every three months.

The ministry expects exports to cross 400 thousand units and reach up to or more than 500 thousand units, he said.

The ministry is already aiming to boost car production to more than 2 million by 2030. This figure includes electric cars, including pure and hybrid vehicles.

Meanwhile, based on the Industry Ministry’s Regulation No. 6 of 2022, the government is aiming to produce 400 electric cars by 2025 and up to 1 million electric cars by 2035.

Within the regulation, electric motorcycle production is targeted to reach 6 million units by 2025 and rise to 12 million units by 2035.

As per the ministry's records, the performance of the automotive industry improved in 2022, with the total production of four-wheeled vehicles reaching 1.4 million units, a 31-percent increase compared to 2021.

Sales also reached 1.04 million units, reflecting an 18-percent increase compared to the previous year, while exports of completely built unit (CBU) cars stood at 473 thousand units, a 61-percent increase compared to the previous year. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews: Ukrainian Ambassador to Indonesia Vasyl Hamianin has commended the Indonesian media for its efforts to seek information and clarifications to dispel the propaganda that has been prevalent in the war between Russia and Ukraine.

One of the biggest challenges that Ukraine has faced during the year-long conflict has been the propaganda spread by Russia, Ambassador Hamianin said.

"The propaganda that has been contaminating the minds and hearts for not only for Indonesian people, but also worldwide," Ambassador Hamianin said after a discussion on “Covering War in Ukraine: the View from Indonesian Journalists,” which was hosted by the United States embassy's cultural center here on Thursday.

Since Russia launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian government has made efforts to address certain narratives that have been propagated widely, including on social media platforms, he added.

The ambassador said that Indonesian media and reporters are very friendly and uphold democratic values.

Some media agencies also sent reporters to carry out live reports and provide timely updates on the impact of the Russian invasion in some parts of Ukraine.

"This is the real example of bravery and nothing can replace a device of your life, but you do it for what? People do it for what? I think there was a President Joe Biden that said yesterday is doing for something important, something that more than your life, your existence, you do it for principles and values," he elaborated.

He then lauded the Indonesian media for taking a stand with Ukraine and fighting for the sake of democracy, humanity, and justice.

During the discussion, three journalists shared their experiences of reporting news live from Ukraine: Teungku Fajri S. from TVRI, Kris Mada from Kompas, and Raymundus Rikang from Tempo.

In his opening remarks, spokesperson for the United States embassy in Jakarta Michael Quinlan highlighted the Indonesian media's contribution to the raising of public awareness and reporting of actual events related to the war.

“The United States, our allies, our partners, and those around the world have banded together to support Ukraine in its fight to defend its country, to defend the freedom, and to defend the ideas of sovereignty and democracy," Quinlan said. (Antaranews)

Jakarta (voinews): The Indonesian search and rescue team (INASAR) ended their humanitarian mission in the Antakya area of Hatay province, Turkey, for victims of the M7.7 temblor on February 6, 2023.

Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy lauded INASAR's work, saying the team contributed to international humanitarian tasks coordinated by the United Nations (UN).

"The mission carried out by INASAR is gaining trust not only as a representative of Indonesia, but also internationally. This is part of the UN mission," he said in a written statement received here on Thursday.

At the INASAR operation post at Hatay Expo, the minister, who was accompanied by the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Lieutenant General Suharyanto, informed that the INASAR team will return to Indonesia on a Garuda Indonesia flight on Thursday night.

After the earthquake, search and rescue (SAR) teams from several countries with medium and heavy International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (Insarag) qualifications worked under the USAR Coordination Cell and thereafter, on a smaller scale, under the Section Coordination Cell, the minister informed.

With the end of the golden time period for search and rescue, the activities are now being coordinated by the Turkish Disaster Management Agency (AFAD).

On Thursday, Effendy also disclosed future plans to increase the Insarag qualifications of the INASAR team to the heavy level. President Joko Widodo has agreed to push for the heavy qualification, according to international standards set by the United Nations, he noted.

"The President has ordered me to discuss the budget allocation. Therefore, there will be a specific policy," he disclosed.

During their stint at the operation post, the INASAR team made several search and rescue efforts, such as breaking concrete and conducting searches with sniffer dogs. The dog handler personnel looked for disaster victims with the help of a sniffer dog named Gizi.

The team, which had been stationed in Antakya since February 12, managed to evacuate the bodies of 15 earthquake victims. Two of the victims were Indonesian citizens whose bodies were found in Diyarbakir. The personnel devoted more than 100 hours to the total operation in Turkey.

The INASAR team, which consisted of 50 personnel and 3 SAR dogs, also received words of appreciation and gratitude from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday (February 20). (Antaranews)