VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Jan. 29 - Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy appealed to survivors of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to come forward to donate convalescent plasma for the treatment of patients that contracted the virus.

"We called on COVID-19 survivors to donate their convalescent plasma to those infected with the coronavirus," Effendy stated during his visit to the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) branch office in Surakarta, Central Java, on Friday.

Vice President KH Ma'ruf Amin has launched the national campaign for convalescent plasma donation to increase the number of donors.

"We have received a report, after the launch of the campaign, that showed the number of convalescent plasma donors in Solo had increased by 40 percent," he remarked.

He applauded Surakarta's PMI for its swift response in the campaign.

"The number of COVID-19 survivors, who donate (convalescent plasma), is expected to continue to increase because the current stock is still far below the demand, including in Solo. Some 30 COVID-19 patients are in need of convalescent plasma," he revealed.

Chief of the PMI branch office in Surakarta Sumartono Hadinoto stated that as of Thursday (Jan 28), the office had collected 231 bags of convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.

The number of patients in line to receive the convalescent plasma has declined, from 50 to 30, and within three days, all patients are expected to receive the plasma.

"This is because we are supported by the Indonesian Army personnel in Purworejo, where 29 personnel have donated their convalescent plasma," Hadinoto stated.

During the visit, the minister also observed the COVID-19 vaccination administered to medical workers at the Bung Karno Hospital and public health center (Puskesmas) in Purwodiningratan, Jebres, Solo. (Antaranews)

Jan. 29 - China toughened its language towards Taiwan on Thursday, warning after recent stepped up military activities near the island that “independence means war” and that its armed forces were acting in response to provocation and foreign interference.

Taiwan, claimed by China as its own territory, reported multiple Chinese fighter jets and bombers entering its southwestern air defence identification zone last weekend, prompting Washington to urge Beijing to stop pressuring Taiwan.

China believes that Taiwan’s democratically-elected government is moving the island towards a declaration of formal independence, though Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly said it is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name.

Asked at a monthly news briefing about the air force’s recent activities, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.

“The military activities carried out by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the Taiwan Strait are necessary actions to address the current security situation in the Taiwan Strait and to safeguard national sovereignty and security,” he said.

“They are a solemn response to external interference and provocations by ‘Taiwan independence’ forces,” he added.

Wu said a “handful” of people in Taiwan were seeking the island’s independence.

“We warn those ‘Taiwan independence’ elements: those who play with fire will burn themselves, and ‘Taiwan independence’ means war,” he added.

While China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, it is unusual for Beijing to make such overt, verbal threats of conflict.

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council said China should think carefully and not underestimate the island’s determination to defend its sovereignty and uphold freedom and democracy.

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry reported six Chinese air force aircraft, including four J-10 fighter jets, flew into its air defence zone on Thursday, close to the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea.

The weekend Chinese incursions coincided with a U.S. carrier battle group entering the disputed South China Sea to promote “freedom of the seas”.

China routinely describes Taiwan as its most important and sensitive issue in relations with the United States, which under the former Trump administration ramped up support for the island in terms of arms sales and senior officials visiting Taipei.

President Joe Biden’s government, in office for a week, has reaffirmed its commitment to Taiwan as being “rock solid”, potentially auguring further strains with Beijing.

Taiwan has denounced China’s threats and efforts at intimidation, and Tsai has vowed to defend the island’s freedom and not be coerced. (Reuters)

Jan. 29 - Former Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa highlighted the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic on the practices of diplomacy, including hindered informal communications, which had become one of the key elements in relations between nations.

At a seminar themed “The Future of Diplomacy in the COVID-19 Era” held from Jakarta, Thursday, Natalegawa, who had served as Indonesia’s foreign minister from 2009 to 2014, noted that advancements in digital technology, which have proven to be beneficial amid restrictions of human mobility due to the pandemic, made the separation and disconnectedness more manageable.

However, diplomats, whose professional essence lies in communications and negotiations, are faced with limitations wherein technology cannot be the substitute to direct, face-to-face interactions.

“(Digital technologies) are not, for instance, substitutes for the element of informality,” he pointed out.

Recollecting his experiences as a diplomat, Natalegawa explained that informal engagement played a role in the ability to take stock of others’ intent, wishes, and policies, as well as to understand the considerations behind their policy choices.

“I do not think one can ‘Zoom’ this type of difficult-to-describe dynamics and intent to be deciphered,” he noted, adding that there was also the matter of confidentiality in certain discussions often being conducted in diplomacy.

The former foreign affairs minister pointed out that concerns over confidentiality during virtual negotiations between countries could be seen in the hindered discussions on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea between China and the Southeast Asian nations in 2020 owing to the pandemic.

The pandemic has thrown more challenges at diplomats over and above their duty to represent their respective countries in their communication with those of other countries and to strike a balance between national and international interests.

To this end, Natalegawa calls for adapting to the ever-changing and ever-evolving nature of technology, as a tool that has proven to be beneficial to the practices of diplomacy in making it more inclusive and expansive.

“Change is permanent, and it is in our capacity to adapt to these technological changes that was more important,” he affirmed. (Antaranews)

Jan. 29 - Indonesia climbed up a notch to fourth position in the latest ranking of ASEAN member states exporting different commodities to China last year.

Indonesia improved its ranking owing to a 10.1-percent increase in its exports to China to reach US$37.4 billion last year.

"We still have to struggle and work hard to increase the exports of value-added products to China, so we can improve our achievement and performance in 2021," Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun told ANTARA in Beijing on Thursday.

Last year, Indonesia's exports to China were below those of Vietnam, at US$69.5 billion; Malaysia, US $66.7 billion; and Thailand, US$43.billion.

Quoting data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC), the ambassador remarked that the China-Indonesia trade was valued at US$78.5 billion last year, with Indonesia's imports from China reaching US$41 billion, down 10.1 percent as compared to a year earlier.

As such, Indonesia succeeded in narrowing its trade deficit with China by up to 68.9 percent in 2020.

In 2019, Indonesia had recorded a deficit of US$11.7 billion in its trade with China. The deficit fell to only US$3.6 billion in 2020.

Iron and steel, swallow's nest, paper and paper products, coffee, tea, cashew nut, and spices were among Indonesia’s key commodities whose exports to China rose significantly.  

The ambassador further noted that China's investment in Indonesia increased to US$4.8 billion, last year, thereby making it the second-largest foreign investor in Indonesia next to Singapore, with US$9.3 billion.

China's investment in Indonesia excluded the US$3.5-billion investment by Hong Kong that ranked third.

"Several large Chinese investors have expressed their investment commitment in the renewable energy sector. This will play an important role for Indonesia in contributing to the development of the global electric car industry," he stated. (Antaranews)