The Jakarta-Beijing relationship is not just about investment and\ntrade. ASEAN, industry, technology, and the interests of the Global\nSouth also shape its direction.<\/p>\n
25 Sep 2026 08:10 WIB \u00b7 Internasional<\/p>\n
AP\/Ng Han Guan<\/p>\n
The relationship between Indonesia and China can no longer be viewed\nsolely as a bilateral relationship. Amidst changes in the international\norder, the relationship between the two countries also intersects with\nASEAN\u2019s position, great power competition, the interests of Global South\ncountries, and changes in economic cooperation patterns.<\/p>\n
The Executive Director of the Center for Strategic and International\nStudies (CSIS) Indonesia, Yose Rizal Damuri, on Tuesday (22\/9\/2026),\nstated that the relationship between Indonesia and China does not occur\nin a vacuum. Changes in the international order also determine how\nIndonesia and China position their bilateral relationship.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe competition between the United States and China is one of the\nfactors, but this development is also influenced by the increasing\nimportance of developing countries and middle powers such as Indonesia,\nASEAN, the business sector, and other stakeholders,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In this context, he continued, the relationship between Indonesia and\nChina becomes important in shaping the evolving international order.\nBoth countries can utilize regional platforms, such as ASEAN, to promote\na more pluralistic order, rather than a fragmented one, while also\nsupporting the prosperity and stability of the region.<\/p>\n
However, efforts to strengthen cooperation still face differing\ninterests between the two countries. Indonesia and China, according to\nYose, have different perspectives on several issues, one of which is\nrelated to investment in Indonesia and Southeast Asian countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis difference needs to be discussed openly to find common ground\nand build a more favorable condition for the relationship between the\ntwo countries,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
The need to understand differences is one of the reasons why CSIS and\nthe China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) held a second-track\ndialogue titled \u201cRoundtable on Indonesia-China Relations and the\nChanging International Order,\u201d from September 20 to 23, 2026, in\nYogyakarta. This forum discussed the challenges and interests of each\nparty while also seeking conditions that would better support\nIndonesia-China relations.<\/p>\n
This dialogue is not only directed at the government. The results of\nthis dialogue will be translated into concrete policy proposals and\npractical cooperation, and communicated to the business world,\nacademics, the media, and the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the initial stage, discussions are still at a strategic level,\nalthough several issues such as energy transition, climate change,\ndigital economy, and governance of artificial intelligence have already\nbeen included in the agenda,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The perspective on international environmental changes and the\nimportance of regional cooperation was conveyed by Zhou Pingjian, Vice\nPresident of the Chinese People\u2019s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).\nHe assessed that the world is at a crucial point due to profound changes\nin the international landscape. The more complex the situation, the\ngreater the need for stability and certainty.<\/p>\n
In that situation, China maintains the continuity and predictability\nof both domestic and foreign policies. Development remains a priority\nwith high quality and openness.<\/p>\n
In this framework, China is ready to cooperate with Indonesia and\nASEAN countries to maintain economic integration and regional stability\nwhile upholding the ASEAN Way and ASEAN Centrality. \u201cEconomic\ncooperation is one concrete form. China and ASEAN have been each other\u2019s\nlargest trading partners for six consecutive years, with a bilateral\ntrade value of approximately 1 trillion US dollars,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Zhou assessed that this indicates a deepening economic\ninterconnection between the two regions. In the future, cooperation can\nbe expanded to include digital economy, environmentally friendly\ntechnology, electricity networks, and cross-border connectivity.<\/p>\n
At the bilateral level, particularly between China and Indonesia,\nZhou proposed that industrial cooperation and supply chains should also\nbe developed, transitioning from the traditional model of \u201cresources for\nthe market\u201d to a more integrated relationship between the market,\nindustry, and resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis pattern is expected not only to strengthen trade relations but\nalso to enhance local job opportunities, technology transfer, industrial\ncapacity building, and the participation of domestic economic actors,\u201d\nsaid Zhou.<\/p>\n
Cooperation can be expanded to energy transition, climate change,\nagriculture, and poverty alleviation. Zhou linked this cooperation to\nthe increasing needs of Global South countries to support one another.\nIndonesia and China, as major developing countries, have an interest in\nstrengthening political, economic, and inter-societal cooperation to\nsupport each other\u2019s development aspirations.<\/p>\n
He cited the manufacturing sector as an example. Zhou mentioned that\nIndonesia is pursuing aspirations to increase the share of manufacturing\nto 28-30 percent of the national economy by 2045. China is similarly\npositioned. This opens up opportunities for mutually supportive\ncooperation.<\/p>\n
Strengthening relationships should not only be positioned at the\ngovernment level. Zhou mentioned the \u201c2+2\u201d meetings and the\nComprehensive Strategic Dialogue as forms of the seriousness of both\ngovernments. Beyond that, there are youth exchanges, research\ninstitutions, educational institutions, and local authorities that need\nto be expanded to strengthen inter-societal relations.<\/p>\n
At this point, Indonesia\u2019s interests become crucial in observing how\nthis cooperation is translated. Professor of International Development\nin East Asia at the Department of International Relations, Faculty of\nSocial and Political Sciences, Gadjah Mada University, Nur Rachmat\nYuliantoro, explained that a healthy bilateral relationship<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/finding-common-ground-between-indonesia-and-china-in-a-changing-world-1790355092", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }