Breaking: Final Stage Tesla & Ford to build EV Factory in Indonesia, also Major Investment AI in Indonesia (statement Investment Minister Luhut)

Jakarta 9.14pm / Washington DC 10.14am / London 3.14pm

Watching Exclusive - Live Interview (nearly 2 hours) Indonesia's Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan with prominent - senior journalist Karni Ilyas, he confirmed (from his point of view) “Final Stage” negotiation for opening Tesla and Ford EV factory and or battery plant in Indonesia.

(This interview)

Luhut desires Indonesia to be (major) geopolitical power again. “I assume Indonesia 2030 will reach US$2 or US$2.1 trillion GDP,” Luhut explained in an exclusive interview. 

Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan also admits meet up (in his office) with Sam Altman approaching about AI (artificial intelligence) in Indonesia. Luhut is not detailed when the meeting happens. Global media just reported Sam Altman visit Brussels to meeting with EU Ursula von der Leyen. 

4 Hours ago, The EU Parliament became the first House in the world to vote on a comprehensive AI regulation. EU Parliament has adopted their position on the EU AI Act — integrating key human rights protections, and big bans on biometric surveillance using AI. EU Parliament wants to prohibit the most unethical & undemocratic practices, such as Biometric Mass Surveillance, AI systems used to recognise emotions, gender or sexual orientation & AI used for predictive policing (EU Parliament) set a global standard. From 620 members of EU Parliament, 499 vote YES; 28 vote NO; 93 abstained.

Luhut incidentally said “dua-duanya”, “ONLY TWO” of the Presidential Candidates in the 2024 Election, in this exclusive interview. Same as Luhut, weeks ago, founder of CSIS Indonesia, Jusuf Wanandi, betting that Indonesia Election 2024 only 2 pairs, not 3. 

Luhut and Jusuf Wanandi thinks only Ganjar Pranowo and Prabowo Subianto to compete on Election 2024, and Anies Baswedan failed. Luhut himself was met up with Surya Paloh, an Acehnese magnate billionaire, a political broker and Chief Nasdem Party, at least 2 times, in Berlin and in Jakarta, for 2024 election, but Luhut admit he never meet and feel doesn't want to meet Anies Baswedan, a (unofficial candidate) Presidential 2024 and brokered by Surya Paloh. Anies are facing tough situation because not yet announced Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, oldest son of former President Susilo Bambang Yuhoyono, to be VP alongside him, when Anies just accumulating only 18% threshold from 2 political party (Nasdem and PKS). Threshold (T&C) to bid for Presidential, anyone must have a minimum 20%. Prabowo, Indonesia Defense Minister, 11 days ago made a stunning peace proposal for Ukraine - Russia at IISS Shangri-La dialogue Singapore. 

On EV Issue, May 15th 2023, FORD are reassessing strategy in China after being caught flat-footed by a competitive field of domestic (China/local companies) EV (Electric Vehicle) manufacturers (BYD; SAIC-General Motors-Wuling Automobile Co.,Ltd. etc).

Ford is also eyeing 1,300 job cuts in China. Ford’s wholesales in China fell below half a million units for the first time in a decade in 2022, continuing a slide since 2016, when the US automaker shipped 1.27 million vehicles and had a market share of 4.6%. That share dropped to 2.1% last year, as Chinese consumers increasingly embrace electric vehicles.

Weeks ago, Elon Musk visited Beijing to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang (but not visit Jakarta).

Around 30 minutes ago, SEMAFOR reported that (Analysts are) worried about the long-term supply of nickel, which is increasingly crucial for the production of electric-vehicle batteries. For now, the mineral is in surplus as slowing economic growth has contributed to reduced demand for its main use — stainless steel. Meanwhile countries such as Indonesia, which have huge stores of nickel, have increased their smelting capacity. But as EVs proliferate, the necessary nickel supplies are in harder-to-mine places, either deep underground or below rainforest, making mining it and turning it into a usable substance environmentally unfriendly. Among EV companies, the issue is known as “the nickel pickle.”

Luhut also confirmed that before (tonight) exclusive interview, Luhut met a Qatar representative about a huge investment in Indonesia, but Luhut denied the details. Qatar, alongside (Public Investment Fund) Saudi and United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi Investment Authority; MUBADALA, is very aggressive to invest across the world. 

Same Qatar issue, Indonesian MoD (Ministry of Defense) confirmed that it has signed a contract for 12 second-hand Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters from Qatar A source within the ministry stated that the contract value is US$734.5 million. The contract (signed last January) includes engines, spare parts, 3 years of support service, pilot and technician training, supporting infrastructure, etc. The aircraft will be delivered 24 months after the contract becomes effective.  Mirage will be assigned to Indonesia Air Force Squadron in 1st Squadron Supadio Air Base in West Kalimantan, around 900 km from Indonesia's new capital city IKN Nusantara. Mirage is an interim solution to address the air force's ageing fighter fleet. F-15EX procurement is still ongoing (letter of offer & acceptance). Su-27/30, Hawk 100/200, and F-16 will be repaired/overhauled and upgraded. In consequence, their readiness will drop. 

Qatar itself has already bought multiple squadrons of (newest) Mirage since 2019, and Qatar will receive their first delivery of Eurofighter Typhoon in August. 

Back to Luhut. Luhut (today) also confirmed again about huge investment by China in Indonesia, saying “China never intended to intervene (Indonesia), so we in the Jokowi administration are open to China. What I like about partnering with China is the technology transfer. 15-20 Years maybe China is too far behind Japan, South Korea, now China is too big ahead in industry, maybe 6-7 years ahead of the US, also ahead in technology,” Luhut explained after a 9 day visit to at least 19 China’s industrial parks in 5 provinces in China, alongside Anindya Bakrie.

Anindya Bakrie since 5 years ago distributing BYD’s electric bus for TRANSJAKARTA (Jakarta Mass Transportation). Luhut admits Anindya Bakrie steps ahead to catch the momentum of massification of EV because Anindya already had a cooperation long time ago with BYD. In 2-3 years, maybe Jakarta Indonesia to be the most use Electric Bus for public transport in Southeast Asia

He (Pak Luhut) reiterates again about transfer technology today. On the allure of economic partnership with Beijing, May 30th, 2023, Luhut Pandjaitan said "What I like about partnering with China is the technology transfer.  They are willing to share their technologies."

Without them, we would not have been able to export $34 billion [in 2022] from the nickel downstream industry,” Chief Investment Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan told the China (Sichuan)-Indonesia Economic and Trade Conference (May 30th, 2023).

“We do not have a national debt with China. It is all business-to-business [B2B],” Luhut said.

Indonesia is trying to shift from nickel ores to products of higher added value such as nickel sulfates, cathodes to even battery recycling. The country has imposed a full ban on exports of unprocessed nickel ores since Jan. 2020.

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-prada- ADI MULIA PRADANA is a Helper. Former adviser (President Indonesia) Jokowi for mapping 2-times election. I used to get paid to catch all these blunders—now I do it for free. Trying to work out what's going on, what happens next. Arch enemies of the tobacco industry, (still) survive after getting doxed.

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