President Biden is stressing a new strategic partnership with Indonesia — with a focus on energy.
The president of Indonesia is the second Southeast Asian leader to spend some time at the White House in about two months.
The president of Vietnam stopped by in September when a White House statement mentioned “Vietnam's clean energy transition plan” under a new partnership with the U.S.
On Monday, Biden spoke of a “new era” in relations with Indonesia, also a critical player in clean energy, especially when it comes to batteries for electric vehicles.
That's because Indonesia has the most reserves of nickel in the world.
Nickel is a crucial part of batteries, increasing what scientists call the energy density of battery components. It also extends the driving range of electric vehicles.
China noticed all of this and has invested in nickel plants in Indonesia for a decade.
Indonesia's president wants more direct investment from the U.S. to help him achieve a goal he announced earlier this year: for Indonesia to become one of the top three producers of EV batteries by 2027.
Right now, potential exports to the U.S. are being complicated by Chinese investments in the Indonesian battery business.
