BlackBerry and Justin Bieber: Bringing Canada and Indonesia Together

There are two things that strengthen relations between Indonesia and Canada: BlackBerry and Justin Bieber. Not a surprise, considering these are the two most popular Canadian exports in the country.

This was disclosed by the Canadian Ambassador, Mackenzie Clugston, when highlighting bilateral relations between the two nations. Indonesia is the biggest trading partner for Canada in Southeast Asia. Canada supplies some of the electronic gadgets that now have become a trend and a lifestyle in the country. Also, many Canadian companies are now operating in Indonesia and employed thousands of Indonesian workers.

Ambassador Clugston said,

Indonesia represents a growing market for Canada’s goods, services and investments. . . The trade volume of the two countries up to now is about US$2.2 billion. Canada gained revenues of about US$1 billion while Indonesia benefitted by US$1.2 billion.

Canada’s Finance Minister Jim Flaherty and Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz have also visited the country to discuss cooperation in the field of financial services and agricultural industries between the two countries in the future.

Popularity, Gadgets, and Social Media

But the cross-cultural benefit from Canada is not just financial – for young Indonesians, it’s mostly cultural. Teenage star Justin Bieber, who recently staged a concert in Indonesia, is still dominating trending topics on Twitter in the country. This is certainly a result of Indonesians’ excitement to share almost about anything in social media.

Mobile phones are one of the most popular tools for social networking, and Blackberry is still one of Indonesians’ favorite gadgets in the country.

From public figures to mothers, Indonesians are using BlackBerry phones as part of their daily lives – and not just as a means of communication. BlackBerry has also encouraged Indonesians to develop the nation’s technological growth. Talking about popurarity, this gadget was overwhelming the country way before Justin rose to his global fame. But one thing is for sure, they share the same level of love and enthusiasm from the Indonesians.

[Source : VivaNews]