DKI Provincial Government and Shenzhen Agree on "Sister City" Cooperation
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and Shenzhen, China, have agreed to a twin city (sister city) cooperation to strengthen international relations and serve as a platform for sharing best practices between cities, particularly in promoting more advanced and sustainable development.
“We hope to draft a Letter of Intent (LoI) as an initial step, to be followed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Shenzhen,” said DKI Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung in an official statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He stated that the cooperation is targeted to be realised in November 2026. Jakarta, with a population of around 11 million, and the Jabodetabek agglomeration area reaching 42 million, faces problems that Beijing once experienced, such as transportation, congestion, pollution, and flooding.
“We want to learn from Shenzhen as a role model,” he said.
On that occasion, Shenzhen’s Executive Vice Mayor Tao Yongxin offered four areas of cooperation deemed potential for joint development.
“We want to start from friendship city as an initial step towards sister city. In addition, there are opportunities for cooperation in technology and innovation, people-to-people connections such as student and cultural exchanges, and the maritime sector,” he said.
He also highlighted Jakarta’s challenges in the transportation sector. Shenzhen is ready to share experiences through technological cooperation.
“We are open to sending Shenzhen companies to Jakarta, starting from vehicle electrification, development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, to the utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) for public services,” said Tao.
Shenzhen is known as a city with rapid progress in technology and smart city development. Since being designated as a special economic zone in 1980, the city has transformed from a fishing area into a global technology hub.
Several major companies are based there, such as Huawei and BYD. With a population of around 20 million, Shenzhen has become one of the leading cities in innovation and technology.