Indonesian Ambassador Djauhari hopes Indonesia–China business ties will be long-term

Shanghai (ANTARA) - Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia Djauhari Oratmangun urged that relations between Indonesian and Chinese business actors should be long-term rather than merely buyer-seller. ‘Build long-term relationships grounded in trust. Do not just see Chinese partners as buyers, but as technology partners, production partners and entry points to the global supply chain,’ said Ambassador Djauhari Oratmangun at the Indonesia-China Business Forum in Shanghai on Tuesday. Also attending were Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti Widya Putri, Consul General of Indonesia in Shanghai Berlianto Situngkir, and about 30 Indonesian and Chinese businesspeople in processed foods. ‘China is no longer merely the workshop of the world, but a laboratory of global innovation. Business forums like this can have a significant impact on future transactions,’ the ambassador said. He noted that participants brought fruits, coffee, spices, snacks, and various Indonesian specialty products to be served in China. ‘Our aim is simple: with space provided for business actors to appreciate, supported by incentives from Indonesia, I can assure you that this forum is a very suitable platform for dialogue,’ he added. He revealed that Indonesia-China trade has reached 167.5 billion USD in 2025, up more than 113 percent over five years, and China has been Indonesia’s largest trading partner since 2011. By comparison, total trade with the European Union is around 30 billion USD, while with the United States it is about 50 billion USD. ‘Through business forums like this, I am confident that large-scale transactions can be achieved to realise Indonesia’s products going global. Buyers, importers, and Chinese business partners, you are coming to a very suitable place,’ the ambassador said. He also noted that Indonesia is advancing downstream in industry, including products presented in China as the result of innovation and sustainable quality improvements, and encourages transactions not only for finished products but also potential joint ventures with Indonesia, given increasingly attractive downstream incentives from the government. A day before the forum, Indonesian MSEs in the food and beverage sector recorded potential transactions worth 3.5 million USD (about Rp62 billion) for Indonesia’s flagship products such as tempe chips, fruit chips, abon ikan, palm sugar, and coffee. The signing took place at the Indonesia pavilion in the international food fair ‘Salon International de l’Alimentation’ (SIAL) Shanghai 2026. The MSEs, mentored by Bank Indonesia and subjected to strict selection from hundreds of food and beverage players, saw 7 MSEs in the ‘food, snacks and spices’ category selected for tempe chips, fried onions, abon ikan, chocolate, palm sugar, and 11 MSEs for coffee to represent Indonesia. BI-banked MSE participation in SIAL Shanghai 2026 is expected to further strengthen the position of Indonesian food products in international markets, especially China, while opening broader export opportunities for national MSEs.