BenBlandis aformer Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. But to my mind, the clear message from Blands text is that optimists will be far more disappointed than the pessimists. Philippines in 2016 won a landmark legal ruling against Chinas "nine-dash line". For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here. The UK, therefore, needsto leverage its existing capital if it is to keep pace with rivals and, hopefully, become a moreimportant partner for the region. Although the UK government is looking to deepen its engagement across the Indo-Pacific, itcannot possibly hope to make a difference in all parts of such a large region, whichencompasses billions of people across two oceans. I frequently write op-eds and provide expert analysis on Southeast Asia to leading international media organisations including Bloomberg, CNN, the Financial Times, TheGuardian, Reuters and The Washington Post. Delivered Monday-Saturday. Of late, we at FP have been wondering: What can Russias war in Ukraine teach the world going forward? Before joining the Lowy Institute,Benwas an award-winning foreign correspondent for theFinancial Times, with postings in Jakarta, Hanoi and Hong Kong and experience reporting across China and Southeast Asia over the previous decade. 17. The Indonesian government is also trying to increase trade diplomacy with partner countries through bilateral agreements. Jokowi, however, has no time for great-power politics. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday. Help using this website - Accessibility statement. WebHe is the author of Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia (Penguin Random House, 2020), the first English language political biography Put Southeast Asia at the centre of the UKs Indo-Pacific Tilt. Delivered Monday-Friday. It is ironic that Jokowi, a leader who prides himself in being responsive to the concerns of the public, has not done more to improve the countrys health system. Jokowi, as the president is known, is a fascinating personality a man who leapt from being a furniture maker to city mayor (of Solo and Jakarta) and then on to lead Indonesia. The key to success will be understanding the real challenges of doing business in Indonesia, rather than wishing them away, so thatcompanies, with the support of government, are better placed to overcome them. another quipped. 36. Sep 17, 2021. The idea would later be exalted by foreign governments from the United States to China as a kind of manifesto for Indonesia to play a much bigger role in the increasingly thorny diplomacy of the region. Indeed, rather than rising to the challenge Jokowi has struggled under the immense pressure. Australia even withdrew its ambassador after Jokowi signed off on two of its citizens being put in front of the firing squad. Please, and moving back to London after 14 years, The end of Fortress Australia?, a first birthday for Man of Contradictions, why writing is thinking, and the other love of my life, The UK's Indo-Pacific Tilt, mutual (mis)understanding between Australia and Indonesia, and what Franz Kafka tells us about Hong Kong's legal system, COVID-19 runs rampant in Indonesia, ASEAN's Rorschach test in Myanmar, the long struggle in Hong Kong and the women who changed war reporting, From a royal slipper thrown at Sir Francis Walsingham to Saddam Hussein's non-existent Weapons of Mass Destruction, via Napoleon's love of OSINT and, The two faces of Indonesian democracy, Beijing's inevitable squeeze in Hong Kong, and the Washington method in Southeast Asia. I was brought up in the Coptic Orthodox faith one of the oldest Christian denominations in the world and that link to my heritage continues to this day when I attend services that are conducted in a combination of English, Arabic and Coptic. The first challenge, which the Foreign Secretary has started to address, is to increase highlevelpolitical engagement with Indonesia. Indeed, Indonesias new experiment with democracy has, in many respects, been hijacked by the dark forces that held the country back before. But it was, like so many political speeches, heavy on buzzwords, thin on policy and designed to be all things to all people. The key to success is a dual strategy of bilateralengagement with Southeast Asian nations and multilateral engagement with ASEAN. Many Indonesian NGOs were already struggling financially before COVID-19 and thepandemic has exacerbated these strains, although these organisations are needed more than ever to support Indonesian society through a very difficult period. Authoritarian government, which has long been the norm in Southeast Asia, has provenremarkably resilient. I am the author of two acclaimed books on Asian politics, the most recent being Man ofContradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia (Penguin Random House,2020), the first English-language political biography of Indonesias president. Ben Bland is a research fellow at the Lowy Institute and the author of Generation HK: Seeking Identity in Chinas Shadow and the forthcoming Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia. The panelists included Anne Richards, CEO of Fidelity International; Carmine Di Sibio, CEO of Ernst & Young; Mathias Miedreich, CEO of Umicore; and Lubna S. Olayan, chair of the executive committee of Olayan Financing Company. Ben Bland shows even pessimists can be gulled by Joko Widodos charms. Crisis of government adds to the burden of history and the challenge of nation-building. Jokowi pushed ahead, confident that his tough approach was popular at home. I am also a non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the ForeignPolicy Centre in London. He wrote: Changing my name is something I have thought about before, on-and-off, for another reason: my name hides aspects of my identity that are important to me but not immediately obvious to others. 19. Ben shared key insights from researching and building Neoco over the last year. 2 global climate envoy, joined FP editor in chiefRavi Agrawal to discuss Washingtons climate policy, and how it is being seen around the world. The latest Lowy Poll shows the gaps in public understanding that bedevils the goal of closer bilateral relations. 27. It comes after Ben joined BBC Breakfast as a business correspondent, with Naga Munchetty and Jon Kay left thrilled by the big news - and fans were just as excited. However, that did not prevent Western nations including the United States and Australia from erroneously framing it as a signal of Indonesian intent to stand up in the world, just as they had done with the global maritime fulcrum. But as Bland quite rightly points out, Jokowi has no time for great power politics. Ben initially teased the news on Instagram as he wrote: "Something VERY exciting is happening for the first time tomorrow hence the massive grin!". 34. BBC Breakfast business correspondent Ben Boulos - best known for appearing alongside hosts like Naga Munchetty, Dan Walker and Sally Nugent - announced the news on social media, Sign up for the Daily Star TV newsletter for the biggest TV news. Rather thanjust staffing up capital cities, there is also a need to have more personnel who can travelaround these sprawling and diverse countries, where local governments often have moresway than national governments. Malaysia lacks a stablegoverning coalition. That meant, chiefly, no formal military or security alliances with other nations. Most of the "five pillars" of the fulcrum were about domestic policy and the economy: promoting the fishing industry, building maritime infrastructure and defending Indonesias sovereignty at a time of intensifying territorial disputes. As the Financial Times correspondent in Jakarta from 2012 to 2016, Ben Bland covered Jokowis campaign for governor of Jakarta, and his subsequent scaling of A whirlwind of online diplomatic speed-dating doesnt allow the impromptu conversations where real business is done. Delivered Thursday. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname Bland made people fairly assume he is as British as they come, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. Foreign governments have repeatedly placed far too much hope in Jokowis ability to step up in the global arena. Some ASEAN member-states remain sceptical about the UKs commitment to the region, soBritish ministers will need to maintain their recent pace of visits to Southeast Asia if theywant to be seen as more serious long-term partners. He is the author of Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia and Generation HK: Seeking Identity in Chinas Shadow. While the West was lambasting Beijings suppression of the Uighur people in Xinjiang, Moeldoko expressed sympathy for the Chinese government, rather than his fellow Muslims. Securing Dialogue Partner statuswith the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) provides a great platform on whichto build these linkages. Copy link. But times change, thankfully for the better. In a later video, Ben told the camera: "Well, here is one last clue. "Good to see you back in the big chair, behind the big black desk!" Myanmars democratically elected government was ousted in a coupearlier this year. "When I put it like that, he got it," the aide said, baffled but charmed at the same time. The Lowy Institute acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional custodians of the land on which the Institute stands, and pays respects to their elders, past and present. Boulos explained that while he is proud of the British side of his family, having the surname Bland made people fairly assume he is as British as they come, and he felt like half of his identity was being masked. He continued: Every name tells a story and I want mine to give a more complete picture of who I am. The former Department for International Development has a strong reputation in the regionand the merged FCDO should look to continue building on this. The UK should also use Dialogue Partner status as a platform to deepen its strategicconversations and practical cooperation with other Dialogue Partners that share Britainsobjectives and values, chiefly the US, Australia, Japan, South Korea, as well as the EU and itsmost influential members-states France and Germany. The rotatingannual chair takes on much of the work of organising and setting the agenda for ministerialmeetings. More information on Neoco can be found here:https://neoco.io/, Ben Bland is a leader within the digital industries, spearheading developments in online marketing and e-commerce, digital strategy, and wider tech startup consulting & entrepreneurship. Select the best result to find their address, phone number, relatives, and public records. Benjamin Mark Bland (born 13 May 1984 in Countesthorpe, Leicestershire ), known professionally as Ben Boulos, is an English presenter and journalist for the BBC News, specialising in business for UK and global audiences on programmes including Business Live, Talking Business and World Business Report, as well as being one of the main relief presenters for BBC World News, BBC News Channel and BBC World Service which operates globally to an estimated weekly audience o It lags way behind countries such as South Korea, China, Singapore and Malaysia in terms of hospital places, critical care beds, doctors and money spent on health. I have wondered whether changing from the name Bland is somehow disloyal to the memory of my great-grandmothers wise decision, without which I may not be here. Done correctly, therefore,enhanced engagement with ASEAN, as an organisation, and Southeast Asian governments,in their own right, should be mutually reinforcing. 6. 18. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. To quickly boost its capabilities in Southeast Asia, the FCDO should consider moreexperienced hires from outside government, both in London and on post. Economic diplomacy: Borders, barriers and obstacles, For real peace, Afghanistan needs a Plan B, Economic diplomacy: Indonesia trade, ASIO business & deglobalisation, Indonesia considers trade options post TPP. Early in Joko Widodos presidency, Chinas assertive behaviour in the South China Sea presented him with one of his first major foreign policy challenges. And yet, under Jokowis watch, there has been a troubling deterioration in Indonesias democratic governance. Ben Boulos nee Bland Anyone follow this 37 year old BBC News commentator. It feels a significant time to do it, because of a similar decision made around a century ago adding an historic symmetry to all this. Indeed, countries such as Australia and Japan have been pinning their hopes on Indonesia being part of a middle-power alliance that could balance the increasingly assertive China. If the UK is to live up to the governments ambitions in the Indo-Pacific, the Foreign,Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will need to enhance its engagement acrossthe region. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has a laser-like focus on promoting economic growth, sothe best way to get his backing is to support his ambitions to build more physicalinfrastructure, improve education and healthcare, and accelerate the shift to a digitaleconomy. benbland.substack.com. / Twitter JavaScript is If the situation in the South China Sea escalates, then the cost of insurance for sea freight will rise, and it will be bad for their international business. Why spend valuable diplomatic capital on a problem that did not affect Indonesia directly? Rather than just talking about the rules-based international order or competition with China, the UK needs to use Dialogue Partner status as an opportunity to be present in and helpfulto the region. The presenter looked dapper as ever in a navy-blue suit with a purple tie and crisp white shirt. to talk to someone, perhaps annoyingly. 26. 35. General enquiries contact: Finance enquiries contact: Future Foundation enquiries contact: Levi Hanes Deirdre MacFadyen Aileen Carson, Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected], Highlights from Creative Industries Clusters Programme April 2021 Newsletter, Future Screens NI Host Policy Roundtable with the DUP, Future Tuesdays presents Neoco: Tools & Patterns for Progressive Operations with Ben Bland 11th of May 2021. Email. That is even more so in the case of Jokowi. 7. Think about it from the perspective of a furniture exporter, he said. There are few global leaders who have risen from obscurity as rapidly as Jokowi. My mothers side of the family is Sudanese-Egyptian and I grew up speaking fluent Arabic alongside English, even though I was born in the UK. Athletic, trim, and ears that you just want to grab as he goes down on your thick, uncut As Bland argues, the rise of Jokowi to the presidency of Indonesia is a testimony to the countrys democracy, and its free and fair elections. Published daily by the Have enjoyed my time in Australia & at Lowy, working with an amazing bunch of smart, insightful people." signing one with Australia in early 2020 after years of arduous negotiations. For example, a few years ago, PWC predicted that Indonesia could be the worlds fourth biggest economy by the year 2050. Watch the full interview for insights on how industry thinks about deglobalization, the U.S.-China rivalry, the war in Ukraine, and much more. Watch FPs Ravi Agrawal in conversation with two of the contributors to the magazines cover story, Anne-Marie Slaughter and retired Gen. David Petraeus, as they reflect on whats surprised themand how to prevent future wars. LELO sexpert Kate Moyle has shared the spicy bedroom crazes that we need to look out for in 2023 but will you be adding any of these trends to your bucket list? It is partly a function of Indonesias size, its strategic location in the midst of key global shipping lanes and its history of, at times, demonstrating leadership potential. Despite strong electoral support from Papua, Jokowi continues with the ineffective efforts to use security forces to crush separatist rebels. While Indonesia coasted, the contours of power in Asia were shifting dramatically around it. Meanwhile, Jokowi transferred formal responsibility for generating investment from the co-ordinating ministry for economic affairs to the co-ordinating ministry for maritime affairs, led by his fixer-in-chief Luhut Pandjaitan. cookies WebBen Bland. This can be done through development cooperation with local NGOs but also throughfacilitating connections between Indonesian NGOs and their counterparts in the region andbeyond. Has Joko Widodos Power Peaked in Indonesia? While ASEAN is often seen by outsiders as a forum for tackling geopolitical challenges,Southeast Asian governments are much more focused on domestic problems and howASEAN can help them resolve these. From Brentford to the world: The Interpreters 2021 favourites, UKs Indo-Pacific tilt not just for the good times, Building stronger Australia-Indonesia ties, Indonesia: Still caught between trade and protectionism, New crackdown will deepen dividing lines in Hong Kong, COVIDcast Episode 6: Geopolitics and the pandemic. Both the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong democracy movement are settling in for a long and painful struggle. Fig. It seemed more like a game of whack-a-mole than a proper plan. More likely is that jockeying between the two great powers makes it even harder for ASEANto adopt a cohesive response to shared challenges; or that growing economic linkagesbetween China and its neighbours in Southeast Asia create a path dependency that leavesSoutheast Asia enmeshed in a Beijing-dominated sphere of influence. He has an MA in Southeast Asian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and an undergraduate degree in History from the University of Cambridge. Webbend someone's ear. Since then, Ben has been eagerly posting selfies to his socials posing outside various BBC studios - a sharp contrast from a throwback snap he posted on his first day on the job. They believed Indonesia should act as a mediating power in south-east Asia, alleviating the growing regional frictions with China. Add this topic to your myFT Digest for news straight to your inbox, Economic and political turmoil at home is undercutting our Indo-Pacific ambitions, Presidents infrastructure success has defined him. Who is the Chinese group blamed for cyber attacks on the west? We are a local music group in the San Luis Valley who is very verse in music styles. If the UK government is serious about competing with China, it has endless avenues to workwith both governments and civil society in Southeast Asia to demonstrate the benefits ofengaging with democracies that respect human rights, value environmental protections andembrace transparency and openness. Ben Bland's new book on Jokowi will be released next week.. Bending over should not cause any ear pressure or pain. Share this post. Jokowi duly unveiled this rather woolly concept in Naypyidaw, Myanmars bizarre and empty purpose-built capital, to an audience of world leaders, including Barack Obama, Dmitry Medvedev, Li Keqiang and Shinzo Abe. It took only a short while, however, for complaints to emerge. As China escalated its struggle with its south-east Asian neighbours for control of the regions rich fishing grounds and reserves of oil and gas, there were some initial signs that Jokowi would take a more resolute stance. 374 likes. WhereASEAN differs is that its Jakarta-based secretariat is deliberately deprived of resources andpower, to ensure that authority and sovereignty resides in national capitals. As well as understanding the opportunities, the British government needs to be clear-eyedabout the risks in Southeast Asia, where there are few truly like-minded nations. His research focuses on the nexus of politics, economics and international relations in Southeast Asia, Beyond traditional areas of civil society focus such as the environment, law reform, genderequality and media freedom, the UK should be more active in promoting digital rights anddigital literacy in Indonesia. As a child I would downplay all of that, trying to fit in and not wanting to seem in any way different. What have we learned so fShow morear, and how can we apply those lessons to make sure we dont sleepwalk into yet another war? I have a longstanding interest in Indonesia, having lived inJakarta, studied Indonesian and built relationships with key players across the political andbusiness communities. The occasional signs of assertion in the South China Sea and on other issues have not been matched by sustained efforts to work more closely with neighbours in pushing back against pressure from Beijing. Historically theUK has framed its Southeast Asian engagement around its former colonies: Malaysia,Singapore and Brunei. 11. Although diplomatic capacity varies across the region, the UK will need to workmore closely with key countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam as theyseek to become more active players on the world stage. You can see more of Ben Bland on Youtube by just searching for "Ironically Bland". Extract from Man of Contradictions: Joko Widodo and the Struggle to Remake Indonesia by Ben Bland, a Lowy Institute Paper published by Penguin Random House on 1 September 2020, RRP $12.99. As a large developing nation, and the worlds fourth most populous, Indonesias voiceis important and the UK should listen to Jakartas concerns and cooperate on areas ofmutual interest, such as reform of the WTO. bend ear phrase. Bland highlights many of Jokowis actions which have undermined Indonesias already flawed democracy notably, diluting the nations anti-corruption agency, creating his own family political dynasty, and his appeasement of conservative Islam and intolerance and of violence towards religious minorities and the LGBT community. 4. The bilateral trade and investment relationship is under-developed so thereshould be plenty of opportunities for growth. 22. It was a name chosen for that reason at that time and it served its purpose well. | View Comments (). 13. Thin-skinned and vain, SBY had sought acclaim in the theatre of diplomacy. Indonesias south-east Asian neighbours, meanwhile, were mostly turning inwards as they too faced intractable domestic problems. Ben Bland is a local internet celebrity who shows us how to make a grand and flowery dinner table decoration. The FCDO needs to pair this governmental approach with support for civil society, which isunder pressure across the region from authoritarian governments and democraticgovernments with authoritarian tendencies. The pandemic has exerted a heavy toll on theregions economies and health systems, taking several hundred thousand lives. Southeast Asia is on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Theyre wrong. As an adult, I feel proud of it and want to celebrate and highlight a part of my background that has such a big influence in shaping who I am.. I focused on Southeast Asia during myundergraduate History degree at the University of Cambridge and have an MA in SoutheastAsian Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. They will also need to be in listeningmode, asking what Southeast Asian governments want from the UK and finding out whereinterests and capabilities overlap. Beijing was inflaming tensions by building artificial islands and military installations in waters claimed by several of Indonesias south-east Asian neighbours. Indonesia has too often been overlooked in London, partly because ofa lack of historical engagement and partly because it is a large and difficult place to do business. It took only a short while, however, for complaints to emerge. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Hong Kong: is one country, two systems under threat? The ASEAN Outlook on the IndoPacific, which was adopted in 2019, was little more than a restatement of ASEANs main principles: peaceful settlement of disputes, respect for international law and, most importantly, non-interference in other nations internal affairs. In just nine years, he went from small-town businessman to president of the worlds fourth most populous nation. At the Lowy Institute, he also wrote analysis papers examining the state of Indonesian democracy and the potential for the Australia-India-Indonesia trilateral relationship, among other research projects. Although most of the challenges facing Southeast Asia are domestic, the region also risksdestabilisation because of external factors, chiefly the growing rivalry between the US andChina. Boulous is a regular presenter on BBC World News, BBC One and the BBC News channel, and has also appeared on BBC Breakfast. Ben Bland on Twitter: "A personal update: after three great years at @LowyInstitute, I'm leaving next month to take up a new role as director of the Asia-Pacific programme at @ChathamHouse in London. Values and interests are oftenin conflict but, if development cooperation is done carefully and thoughtfully, it is possible to walk and chew gum. Bens position was supported by the Lowy Institutes Engaging Asia Project, which was established with the financial support of the Australian Government. 28. Save. Overall, Jokowi, a one-time man of the people, is said to run the palace more as an imperial court than a chief executives office, and sees the military as a balancing force against his various political opponents. Delivered Wednesday. Ben, who used to go by Ben Bland before changing his name to reflect his heritage, posted the news after "unprecedented, overwhelming public demand" on his social media pages. Jokowis foreign policy has always been unpredictable, seesawing between nationalism and globalism. Many analysts had expected great things from the Indonesian economy. 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