THE docks at big Indonesian ports are quieter these days, as China's demand for raw materials has begun to cool. But drive an hour inland and the agricultural giant Cargill is racing to finish a cocoa bean processing plant, while a large instant noodle factory is running full tilt to meet the demand for convenience food from Indonesia's large and growing middle class.
"We're having quite a tough time keeping up," said Tjun Sulestio, a general manager of the noodle factory, run by PT Suprama. The contrast in many emerging markets between signs of a looming currency crisis and strong domestic demand is visible around the world. Stock markets and currencies have fallen in recent months in places...