G20: Japan Pledges To Provide Loans For Transportation

Japanese national daily newspaper, The Mainichi, is reporting from the G20 in Nusa Dua, Bali that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has pledged to provide 130-billion Yen (approx. USD 927.4-million) in loans to Indonesia for its mass rapid transit system project and toll way infrastructure.

During their in-person summit, Kishida agreed with Indonesian President Joko Widodo that the two nations will sign the deal in the near future, the Japanese government said.

Kishida’s announcement came as Japan has been trying to thwart China’s apparent efforts to bolster its economic and military clout in the Asia-Pacific region, where tensions between Beijing and democratic countries have been intensifying.

Japanese and Indonesian leaders also confirmed that the two nations will work together to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific, a vision promoted by Tokyo to counter to China’s growing regional assertiveness, report The Mainichi.

On Sunday, Kishida criticized China by name for stepping up actions that infringe on Japan’s sovereignty in the East China Sea, at an annual summit in Cambodia of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its partners.

Kishida is visiting Bali to attend the two-day Group of 20 summit through Wednesday. Indonesia is the host of this year’s G20 meetings.

According to the government, Kishida and Widodo agreed to work together toward the success of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May next year. The prime minister is a lawmaker representing a constituency in the western Japan city that was destroyed by a U.S. atomic bomb dropped in 1945.

Alongside G-7 members; Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States plus the European Union, the G20 also includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and Turkey.

Later Monday, Kishida exchanged views with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on security threats from China and North Korea, which has launched a spate of ballistic missiles since the beginning of this year in violation of U.N. resolutions.

As for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kishida and the head of the executive branch of the European Union agreed that the international community should join hands to prevent President Vladimir Putin from using nuclear weapons against its neighbour.

On Monday, meanwhile, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Kishida is set to hold a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week, in what would be the first summit between the two countries in roughly three years, say The Mainichi.

Matsuno, the government’s top spokesman, told reporters in Tokyo that during their summit on Thursday in Thailand that Japan will “assert what needs to be asserted” to China, but stressed both nations need to work to build a “constructive and stable” relationship.

Source: The Mainichi

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Andrzej Barski

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Andrzej is Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia. He was born in the UK to Polish parents and has been living in Indonesia for more than 33-years. He is a skilled writer, trainer and marketer with a deep understanding of Indonesia and its many cultures after spending many years travelling across the archipelago from North Sumatra to Irian Jaya.

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Director of Seven Stones Indonesia

Terje is from Norway and has been living in Indonesia for over 20-years. He first came to Indonesia as a child and after earning his degree in Business Administration from the University of Agder in Norway, he moved to Indonesia in 1993, where he has worked in leading positions in education and the fitness/ wellness industries all over Indonesia including Jakarta, Banjarmasin, Medan and Bali.

He was Co-owner and CEO of the Paradise Property Group for 10-years and led the company to great success. He is now Co-owner/ Founder and Director of Seven Stones Indonesia offering market entry services for foreign investors, legal advice, sourcing of investments and in particular real estate investments. He has a soft spot for eco-friendly and socially sustainable projects and investments, while his personal business strengths are in property law, tourism trends, macroeconomics, Indonesian government and regulations. His personal interests are in sport, adventure, history and spiritual experiences.

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Per is the Managing Director of the Seven Stones Indonesia (SSI) Jakarta office and has more than 25-years’ experience in Indonesia, China, and Western Europe. He previously worked in senior management positions with Q-Free ASA, Siemens AG, and other companies in the telecom sector. Over the last six years, he has been the Chairman of the Indonesia-Norway Business Council (INBC) and recently become elected to be on the board of EuroCham Indonesia.

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Ridwan is one of Indonesia’s top executives with a long and illustrious career in the financial world. He holds several professional certifications including being a Certified Business Valuer (CBV) issued by the Australian Academy of Finance and Management; Broker-Dealer Representative (WPPE); and The Directorship Certification for Directors and Commissioners, issued by the Indonesian Institute of Commissioners and Directors.

His experience includes being the Managing Director at one of the top investment banking groups in the region, the Recapital Group, the CFO at State-owned enterprises in fishery industry and the CEO at Tanri Abeng & Son Holding. He’s also been an Independent Commissioner in several Financial Service companies and on the Audit and Risk Committee at Bank BTPN Tbk, Berau Coal Energy Tbk, Aetra Air Jakarta as well as working for Citibank, Bank Mandiri and HSBC. His last position was as CFO at PT Citra Putra Mandiri – OSO Group.

Ridwan has won a number of prestigious awards including the Best CFO Awards 2019 (Institute of Certified Management Accountant Australia-Indonesia); Asia Pacific Young Business Leader awarded by Asia 21 Network New York USA (Tokyo 2008); UK Alumni Business Awards 2008 awarded by the British Council; and The Most Inspiring Human Resources Practitioners’ version of Human Capital Magazine 2010.

He’s a member of the Board of Trustees of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Law, Trisakti University, Co-Founder of the Paramadina Public Policy Institute and actively writes books, publications and articles in the mass media. He co-authored “Korupsi Mengorupsi Indonesia” in 2009, which helps those with an interest in understanding governance in Indonesia and the critical issue of corruption. Ridwan speaks Indonesian and English.