VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Australia and United States defense ministers are determined to "counter destabilizing military activities by the People's Republic of China", they said in a statement after a meeting at the Pentagon.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles in Washington on Monday as part of the annual AUSMIN talks that on Tuesday will include the two nations' foreign ministers.

Britain's defence minister, Ben Wallace, will also attend the first in-person meeting of AUKUS ministers on Wednesday in Washington. The defence technology group of Australia, United States and Britain was formed to deliver nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia.

The AUKUS meeting comes at a critical time for the partners, which are due to decide in March whether the submarine will be British or American, and set a road map for an Australian fleet.

Britain's defence minister, Ben Wallace, will also attend the first in-person meeting of AUKUS ministers on Wednesday in Washington. The defence technology group of Australia, United States and Britain was formed to deliver nuclear-powered submarine technology to Australia.

The AUKUS meeting comes at a critical time for the partners, which are due to decide in March whether the submarine will be British or American, and set a road map for an Australian fleet.

A statement released after the Pentagon meeting said Australia and the United States would deepen defense cooperation, including technology cooperation.

China is Australia's largest trading partner and the top market for exported iron ore, but Canberra has grown concerned about Beijing's military ambitions in the South Pacific after it struck a security pact with the Solomon Islands this year.

A meeting between Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month at the G20 was a step towards normalising ties but would not bring a shift in Canberra's defense policy, Australian diplomats said. (Reuters)

China's defence ministry on Tuesday dismissed a Pentagon report about the pace of its nuclear weapons programme as unfair "gesticulation" and speculation.

The Pentagon said in a report last month that China would likely have a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues with its current pace of its nuclear buildup.

The figure underscores mounting U.S. concerns about China's intentions for its expanding nuclear arsenal, even though the projections do not suggest China is accelerating the pace of its already-brisk warhead development.

China's defence ministry on Tuesday dismissed a Pentagon report about the pace of its nuclear weapons programme as unfair "gesticulation" and speculation.

The Pentagon said in a report last month that China would likely have a stockpile of 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 if it continues with its current pace of its nuclear buildup.

The figure underscores mounting U.S. concerns about China's intentions for its expanding nuclear arsenal, even though the projections do not suggest China is accelerating the pace of its already-brisk warhead development.

"It should be emphasised that China firmly pursues a self-defence nuclear strategy, always adheres to the policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstance, and maintains its nuclear forces at the lowest level required by national security."

The United States has a stockpile of about 3,700 nuclear warheads, of which about 1,740 were deployed, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think-tank.

The Chinese ministry said it was the United States that was the "biggest trouble maker" when it came to global security.

"It has fanned the flames for its own self-interest, creating divisions and confrontation in the world, and bringing turmoil and disasters wherever it goes," the ministry said. (Reuters)

Malaysia's new Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Tuesday he was reviewing government projects worth billions of dollars approved by his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin as they did not follow the rules.

The remarks come at a time when graft has become a major issue, with former prime minister Najib Razak jailed this year over the looting of billions of dollars from state fund 1MDB after a prosecution following his loss in a 2018 election.

The projects include flood mitigation and COVID-19 aid programmes, said Anwar, who became prime minister last month after a tightly contested election race with Muhyiddin.

"They can say it was clean, but they weren't clean," Anwar told a news conference. "When we look at the approvals, they were done without following the regulations."

In posts on Facebook this week, Muhyiddin, who was prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, denied the accusations over COVID-19 relief, saying he would welcome an investigation.

"Not a single penny of this money went into my personal account," Muhyiddin added. "I'm not afraid of being investigated because I know I'm not misusing public funds."

On Monday, Anwar said his government was re-evaluating a Muhyiddin-era plan for a state-owned 5G network as it had not been formulated transparently.

And on Tuesday, he ordered the review of 7 billion ringgit ($1.59 billion) worth of flood mitigation projects, state news agency Bernama said.

Anwar said the projects had been awarded through direct negotiations instead of tenders.

Responding to Anwar's comments on the flood-related projects, former environment minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said projects awarded through direct negotiations were not improper.

Although some projects were expedited, they still followed the rules, he said in a statement.

Malaysian politicians grappling with corruption accusations include Anwar's deputy, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who has pleaded not guilty to 47 charges of bribery, money laundering and criminal breach of trust.

Ahmad Zahid is a key coalition partner without whose support Anwar would not have been able to form a government. (Reuters)

Indonesia and Ecuador in 2023 will follow up on a number of agreements that have been agreed upon by the two countries. This was conveyed by the Ambassador of the Republic of Ecuador to Indonesia, Santiago Chávez in a special interview with RRI Voice of Indonesia, Monday (5/12) in Jakarta.

On May 27, 2022, Indonesia and Ecuador signed a collaboration on disaster risk management in Bali by the Head of BNPB RI Suharyanto and the Head of the Ecuador's Disaster Management Agency (SNGRE) Christian Torres.
According to Santiago Chávez, cooperation in disaster risk management is one of the points of cooperation that will be followed up next year.

"In 2022, the two institutions responsible for risk management, both in Ecuador and Indonesia have reached an agreement and have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on risk management"
"So, in 2023, the two countries will develop the memorandum of understanding by discussing specific points that can be applied, especially in terms of exchanging experiences, capacity building, using technology that can really help each other," Santiago explained. Chávez.

In addition to disaster management, Indonesia and Ecuador will also follow up on cooperation in combating illegal drug trafficking.
Santiago Chavez said the two countries had signed this cooperation on May 25, 2022.
"We also seek cooperation in the war against drugs and transnational networks related to drugs," he added.
Santiago Chavez added that both Indonesia and Ecuador have many things in common. Therefore, according to him, there is a lot of potential for cooperation that can be carried out and developed. (VOI)