Abstract:
Ali Rama published an attention-grabbing article entitled “China’s emergence and its impact on ASEAN” (The Jakarta Post, Feb. 4, 2010). His work analyzed the impact of implementing the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) on ASEAN countries and put forward a number of suggestions. However, I do disagree with some of his suggestions. In his article, Rama proposed that China‘s market would provide huge opportunities to increase export performance by shipping agricultural products such as rice, rubber, sugar and palm oil. Concerning palm oil, I want to highlight and discuss this matter further. Let’s look at the data, according to Sawit Watch around 50 percent or 7.8 million hectares of palm oil plantations in Indonesia are controlled by foreign investors from Malaysia, Singapore, US, UK and Belgium (cited in Antara News Aug. 12, 2009). And a number of Malaysian investors have one of the biggest controlling shares of the plantation.
This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "Between CAFTA and environmental considerations". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/12/between-cafta-and-environmental-considerations.html.
