Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - State-owned gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) (JSX:PGAS) is seeking strategic partner to implement its plan to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. The terminal, estimated to cost US$450 million, would be built in Situbondo, East Java, PGN President Sutikno said. The terminal would facilitate gas distribution to Java from the Tangguh LNG plant being built in Papua and the Senoro LNG plant to be constructed in Sulawesi.

Jakarta (ANTARA News/Asia Pulse) - Aston International Hotels said it will build and operate 13 new hotels in Indonesia in the next 5 years. This year, Aston would build five new hotels and in 2008 eight hotels, president Charles Brookfield told the newspaper Kompas last week. Brookfield said Aston wanted to expand the market in Indonesia, which he saw as offering wide business ppportunities.

Tokyo (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government hopes that an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) can be concluded with Japan before the end of 2007 as only a few sectors need to be agreed on in ongoing negotiations, an Indonesian diplomat said.

Beijing (ANTARA News) - Some Chinese entrepreneurs want to import Indonesian ethnic furniture although China is one of the world`s largest furniture exporting countries, an Indonesian official said. The intention to buy Indonesian furniture was conveyed by Chinese businessmen who met with their Indonesian counterparts at the recent 20th Shenzhen International Furniture, Home Decoration, Material Accessory Expo (SIFE), Indonesian Trade Attache Imbang Listiyadi said here Monday.

Singapore is waiting for a government ruling to begin promoting Indonesia's special economic zones (SEZs) in the Riau Islands province to global investors, a top executive of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) said. Kadin's chairman M.S.