Muhammad Husaini Fikri

Aug 21, 2024 | eastasiaforum.org | Toshiro Nishizawa |Muhammad Husaini Fikri |Muhammad Rafi Bakri |Anthony Milner

The Paris Club, an informal forum of 22 creditor nations that deals with debtor countries’ payment difficulties, reached a consensus in March 2024 on debt cancellation for Somalia under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. This treatment reduced over US$2 billion, 99 per cent of Somalia’s total debt owed to Paris Club creditors. This debt cancellation may have implications for debt-distressed developing economies in Asia.

Aug 20, 2024 | eastasiaforum.org | Haruka Satake |William Jones |Shafi Mostofa |Muhammad Husaini Fikri

The semiconductor industry has become an increasingly critical pillar of the US economy and national security, underscored by the rapid construction of semiconductor manufacturing facilities across the country. Intel’s new Fab 42 facility and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s factory in Arizona represent significant investments in domestic production capabilities.

Aug 17, 2024 | eastasiaforum.org | Sokleap Sreng |Sovinda Po |Muhammad Husaini Fikri |Muhammad Rafi Bakri

In May 2024, Cambodia renamed one of the major roads in the capital city of Phnom Penh the ‘Xi Jinping Boulevard’. The occasion highlighted the prominent role of China’s ample economic and political support for Cambodia’s development. While their relationship has aided Cambodian growth and stability, some underlying issues remain. China has significantly boosted the funding of Cambodia’s development infrastructure.

Aug 16, 2024 | eastasiaforum.org | Muhammad Husaini Fikri |Muhammad Rafi Bakri |Benny Subianto |Pieter E. Stek

Jakarta is exhausted from carrying the burden of being Indonesia’s capital city. With a population that reached 10.6 million in 2022, the city struggles with overcrowding in its 661.5 square kilometres. Indonesia passed legislation in 2022 mandating the relocation of the capital to Nusantara. According to research by the National Development Planning Agency, shifting the capital city to Nusantara will benefit the national economy by contributing to a 0.1 per cent rise in GDP.