China Responds to President Prabowo's Speech: Relations with Indonesia Remain Strong
BEIJING - China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has affirmed that relations with Indonesia remain strong and that bilateral cooperation continues to develop. This statement was made in response to various interpretations circulating on social media regarding a speech by President Prabowo Subianto at the 79th National Cooperatives Day (Harkopnas) commemoration.
Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the Chinese government had observed various reports concerning President Prabowo’s speech in Jakarta on Sunday (12/7), which subsequently sparked a range of comments on Chinese social media. “China has taken note of the relevant reports. The interpretations by certain media outlets have proven to be completely inconsistent with the facts. China and Indonesia are friendly neighbours and important development cooperation partners for each other,” Lin Jian said at a press conference in Beijing, quoted on Friday (17/7).
He also cited statements from the Indonesian government, which has repeatedly expressed its commitment to deepening cooperation with China, particularly in the fields of industrial and supply chains, while welcoming investment from Chinese companies in Indonesia. “We believe that China and Indonesia, as two major developing countries, have promising prospects for cooperation, and that Indonesia will continue to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies and create a conducive environment for their investment and operational activities there,” Lin stated.
During the Harkopnas event, President Prabowo illustrated the importance of safeguarding national interests by using a metaphor about a guest who comes to trade. “We like guests. We respect guests. Only sometimes there are guests who do not know their place. They were not invited, they came here saying they wanted to trade, but eventually they rob you,” Prabowo said, without naming any specific country. The president also noted that Indonesians are known for being friendly and open to guests, even going so far as to borrow sugar and coffee from neighbours to serve them. A clip of the speech subsequently circulated widely on Chinese social media, prompting comments questioning whether the remarks were directed at China. Some comments read, “We cannot trust Indonesia, they will always cause trouble,” while others questioned, “Why invest in Indonesia?”.
Despite this, the Chinese government stressed that such interpretations do not reflect the factual state of bilateral relations, which continue to develop through trade, investment, and development cooperation. Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) shows that China remained Indonesia’s top trading partner throughout January to May 2026. However, Indonesia’s reliance on imports of Chinese products is also considerably high, with the value of non-oil and gas imports from China reaching US$39.27 billion in the same period. The majority of imported goods are capital goods and industrial auxiliary materials, including mechanical machinery (HS84) worth US$8.73 billion, electrical machinery and equipment (HS85) worth US$8.43 billion, and plastics and plastic articles (HS39) worth US$2.33 billion. Cumulatively, from January to May 2026, Indonesia’s non-oil and gas trade deficit with China swelled to US$10.73 billion, an increase from US$8.87 billion in the same period the previous year.