VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Russia's parliament completed the passage of a law on Wednesday withdrawing ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, evidence of the deep chill in relations with the United States as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was not prepared to resume discussing nuclear issues with the U.S. unless Washington dropped its "hostile" policy.

The bill to deratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the upper house after the lower house also passed it unanimously. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing.

Putin had requested the change to "mirror" the position of the United States, which signed the CTBT in 1996 but never ratified it.

Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo - no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century.

Russia says it will not resume testing unless Washington does, but arms control experts say a test by either Russia or the United States could trigger a new arms race - and more testing by other countries - at a moment of acute tension, with wars raging in Ukraine and the Middle East.

CNN published satellite images last month showing that Russia, the United States and China have all expanded their nuclear test sites in recent years.

The U.S. Energy Department said last week it had conducted a chemical explosion at its test site in Nevada "to improve the United States' ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world".

Speaking to Russian lawmakers before Wednesday's vote, deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said the Nevada blast was "undoubtedly a political signal".

"As our president said, we must be on alert, and if the United States moves towards the start of nuclear tests, we will have to respond here in the same way," he said.

Russia says its monitoring stations will keep supplying data to the global network that detects nuclear blasts.

But In separate comments, RIA news agency quoted Ryabkov as saying Russia was not ready to resume nuclear talks with the U.S.

Without changes in its "deeply fundamental hostile course", he said, "a return to dialogue on strategic stability, including the topic of strategic offensive arms and other topics in the form that was previously practised, is simply impossible".

Russia accuses Washington of trying to inflict a "strategic defeat" on it by arming Ukraine in the war. The U.S. says it is helping Kyiv to defend itself.

The absence of nuclear dialogue has called into question the fate of the New START treaty, which limits the number of strategic warheads that Russia and the U.S. can deploy.

Russia suspended the treaty this year and it is due to expire in 2026, leaving the two countries without any remaining bilateral nuclear weapons agreement.

Ryabkov said Moscow had received an unofficial memo from Washington on arms control and was looking at it, but it had "no novel elements". (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - Buffeted by years of upheaval and China's economic slowdown, Hong Kong's leader on Wednesday outlined his annual policy vision focused on kick-starting the ailing property market while further tightening national security laws.

The policy blueprint, the second delivered by Chief Executive John Lee since he took office, comes at a critical moment for Hong Kong, as the Chinese-ruled former British colony looks to emerge from the turmoil of the last few years.

Mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, the COVID lockdown, the emigration of tens of thousands of residents and unease over a national security crackdown have all sapped energy from one of Asia's most vibrant cities.

Lee, a former police officer, in a three-hour speech outlined policies that ranged from slashing property transaction fees to geopolitics and offering cash bonuses for local parents to have more babies.

"Hong Kong has many strengths. We should treasure them, without inflating our ego. In face of competition, we should never be complacent; we should not be frustrated or doubt ourselves when we lag behind," Lee said.

Lee's primary focus was on stimulating Hong Kong's economy, which contracted 3.5% last year, and luring back international businesses and capital at a time when the local stock market has struggled and families have sold flats and moved abroad.

But Lee, who was sanctioned by the U.S. government for his role in cracking down on freedoms after the pro-democracy protests in 2019, also emphasized the need to bolster national security -- a priority for China's President Xi Jinping.

"External forces continue to meddle in Hong Kong affairs," he said, adding that fresh security legislation including laws to counter alleged espionage activities, known as Article 23, would be enacted by the end of 2024.

"We should pay particular attention to those anti-China and destabilising activities camouflaged in the name of human rights, freedom, democracy and livelihood," he said.

To enhance Chinese national identity and unity, Hong Kong would be rolling out "patriotic" education in local schools, Lee said.

He also said cybersecurity would be strengthened to protect critical infrastructure.

Some observers say Lee's economic and security priorities are difficult to balance.

"The Hong Kong business environment is already facing challenges due to an unwelcoming atmosphere and a repressive political climate," said Sunny Cheung, an exiled activist and visiting fellow at John Hopkins University in Washington D.C.

PROPERTY AND STOCKS

Turning to the property market, Lee said stamp duty, would be halved to 7.5% from 15% for second home buyers and non-citizen buyers with immediate effect, to help revive a sector that is one of the economy's pillars.

Other adjustments were made to allow some home owners to sell properties after two years without incurring hefty duties.

And Lee said the government would continue to increase the overall supply of land for public and private housing.

The reaction from investors was lukewarm, with shares of Sun Hung Kai Properties (0016.HK) and Henderson Land (0012.HK), two major residential property developers, closing down 0.5% and 0.7%, respectively.

Hong Kong had tried to cool the property market during a surge of nearly 300% in home prices in the decade to 2019. Since then prices have fallen 13%.

In August, property prices dropped to a seven-month low, and realtors expect them to end 2023 as much as 5% down.

"The relaxation of cooling measures is only a band-aid solution that is unlikely to reverse the downward trend of home prices," said Joseph Tsang, chairman of property consultancy JLL in Hong Kong, citing the global economic downturn and interest rate hikes as lingering factors weighing on the market.

Lee said stamp duties for stock transactions would be reduced to 0.1% from 0.13% to help bolster liquidity in the Hong Kong market, and market data fees would be cut later this year to help brokerages.

He added Hong Kong would seek to strengthen its role as an offshore yuan centre and bolster financial ties to China, and enhance schemes to attract foreign talent.

($1 = 7.8241 Hong Kong dollars) (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - U.S. President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will discuss maritime and cybersecurity defense on Wednesday as they coordinate their China strategy in an official White House visit.

Australia is a key U.S. ally in the Pacific and the visit comes as crisis rages in the Middle East. Biden scheduled the visit after canceling a trip to Sydney in May to stay in Washington and negotiate a government funding crisis.

The visit will produce a series of agreements aimed at deterring and competing with China, even as separately the two countries try to thaw relations with Beijing.

The expected deals include launching an undersea internet cable project and maritime wharf infrastructure investment designed to benefit and woo Pacific Island nations whose assistance may be needed to respond to any future conflict over Taiwan or the South China Sea, according to U.S. officials.

Washington and Canberra, already partners in a decades-old collective defense agreement, will also announce wider security cooperation with Japan.

The balancing act of strengthening deterrence against China without offending Beijing too much is made more complicated by a Middle East crisis that has again diverted Washington's attention away from the Indo-Pacific.

A leadership vacuum in the U.S. House of Representatives has also complicated the approval of a set of laws needed to deliver on Biden's promise to support the AUKUS defense partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia. The AUKUS deal includes transferring sensitive U.S. and British nuclear submarine technology to Australia.

Financing and approvals related to AUKUS still need to come from Congress, where Republican lawmakers, who have a narrow majority, have repeatedly failed to line up enough support behind a party candidate to elect a new speaker of the House.

On Friday, the Biden administration submitted a supplementary budget request to Congress that includes measures to support U.S. commitments under AUKUS.

A senior administration official said Biden would reassure Albanese that the United States will follow through on its end of the deal as Australians express private frustrations over the delays in moving ahead on the partnership.

"We're in close and deep consultations on Capitol Hill," the official told reporters. "We are confident that the various procedural steps and budget conditions necessary to move forward with pillar one of AUKUS will move through in a way that will support our larger endeavor."

The U.S.-Australian efforts, designed to counter China's territorial claims and reduce trade dependence on the Asian country, come as both countries also work to reduce diplomatic tensions with Beijing.

Albanese will visit China, Australia's largest trade partner and biggest buyer of its iron ore, on Nov. 4.

White House aides are working to lock down a meeting between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Nov. 11-17 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.

Biden and Albanese will also seek to boost cooperation on cybersecurity and Australia's rare earth minerals output to reduce reliance on China, the dominant supplier.

Biden will also announce that a cyberattack on Australia could be taken as an "armed" attack that would trigger U.S. collective defense obligations. In the event of such an attack, the United States would make a case-by-case decision on whether to invoke the treaty, according to another U.S. official.

Australia has been a major hacking target for China.

Biden will also work on the more intangible parts of the U.S.-Australian alliance.

Albanese, his partner Jodie Haydon and the Bidens will eat a three-course banquet prepared by five-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee Katie Button, set against a canvas of American Monarch butterflies and Australian Cairns Birdwing butterflies.

Nodding to the downbeat politics of the moment, a planned performance by the pop group B-52s at the dinner is being scrapped in favor of music from a U.S. military band. (Reuters)

VOINews, Jakarta - Newly appointed British Ambassador to Indonesia Dominic Jermey presented letter of credentials to President Joko Widodo in Jakarta, October 23, and expressed optimism about great potential for increasingly strong relations between Indonesia and the UK.

"It is a great privilege and honor for me to present my credentials to the President of Republic of Indonesia His Excellency Joko Widodo," Ambassador Jermey stated, according to a written statement issued by the British Embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Dominic Jermey, who has been appointed as Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia and non-resident Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, stated that his country has been eager to intensify partnerships with Indonesia on trade, investment, climate change, and global stability.

"The UK’s partnership with Indonesia continues to grow from strength to strength, focused on business, climate change, biodiversity, as well as prosperity and security in the Indo Pacific," Jermey stated while calling Indonesia as the largest economy in Southeast Asia, and Britain, as a member of G7.

"Our trade between the UK and Indonesia was worth 3.5 billion pound sterling in 2022, and I want to grow this further as we continue to boost two-way investment," Jermey remarked.

Jermey claimed to be extremely proud of the UK’s long-standing collaboration with Indonesia on climate change, energy transition, and clean growth as was demonstrated through the recent agreement around the Low Carbon Development Initiative that will ensure Indonesia’s economic growth to be sustainable and resilient against the impacts of climate change.

"I am very much looking forward to my new role as the British Ambassador to Indonesia, working together with our friends and colleagues from Sabang to Merauke, delivering benefits and creating a better, safer, and greener future for our people," he affirmed.

During the 1999-2000 period, Dominic served as British Representative to the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor, reporting to the UK Ambassador in Jakarta.

Jermey’s earlier diplomatic postings include serving as Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Afghanistan for 2016-2017 period and to the United Arab Emirates for 2010-2014 period.

In 1999-2000, Jermey was British Representative to the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor, reporting to the UK Ambassador in Jakarta.

He was Managing Director and Chief Executive of the UK’s inward investment and export support agency, UK Trade and Investment from 2007-2010 and 2014-2015. (Antaranews)