Government Offers Transmigration Area Potential to China
The Indonesian government is offering the development potential of its transmigration areas to China. This follows a working visit by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Indonesia, Wang Lutong, alongside the Minister of Transmigration, M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, to several strategic transmigration zones in eastern Indonesia.
The visit is scheduled to take place across South Papua, Southwest Papua, North Maluku, and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). “Transmigration areas possess vast land, human resources, and economic potential. We are not merely building residential areas, but new economic growth centres capable of creating jobs, increasing productivity, and strengthening community welfare,” stated Iftitah, according to an official statement on Monday.
The first agenda of the visit will be the Salor Transmigration Area in Merauke Regency, South Papua. This area serves as one of the nation’s food production hubs, featuring over 60,000 hectares of rice fields that support the national food self-sufficiency programme. In addition to inspecting the agricultural zones, the delegation is scheduled to visit the Salor Transmigration Area’s urban centre, which is developing as part of the South Papua provincial capital. Plans under discussion include the construction of a Rice Development and Research Centre, an Agricultural Vocational School, and a Poverty Alleviation Centre. These facilities are intended to serve as development models focused on enhancing productivity and public welfare.
Following Merauke, the delegation will proceed to the transmigration area in Raja Ampat, Southwest Papua. The visit aims to assess economic development potential and explore opportunities for promoting Raja Ampat tourism to Chinese travellers. Subsequently, the group will inspect the transmative area in North Halmahera, North Maluku, which is recognised for its significant potential in coconut commodity development. This inspection is expected to open avenues for cooperation to strengthen coconut industry downstreaming and expand export access for local produce to the Chinese market.