Indonesian Consulate General in Chengdu to Focus on Enhancing RI-Southwest China Cooperation
Beijing (ANTARA) - The Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to China and Mongolia, Djauhari Oratmangun, stated that the opening of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Chengdu is drawing closer, with a focus on enhancing cooperation in Southwest China.
“In March 2026, the President of the Republic of Indonesia signed Presidential Regulation No. 10 of 2026, which forms the basis for opening KJRI Chengdu. This reflects Indonesia’s priority to continue strengthening strategic cooperation between Indonesia and the Southwest China region, with Chengdu in Sichuan Province as its ‘gateway’,” said Ambassador Djauhari in a written statement.
This was conveyed by the ambassador during a meeting with the Party Secretary of the Communist Party of China in Sichuan Province, Wang Xiaohui, in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, on Friday (17/4).
“With the vast potential of Indonesia and Sichuan Province, there are many areas of cooperation that we can continue to develop, including industry and downstreaming, renewable energy such as solar panels, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, battery storage development, and energy ecosystems,” added Ambassador Djauhari.
Ambassador Djauhari added that people-to-people relations are also an important pillar of Indonesia-Sichuan cooperation, through education, tourism, and culture.
“Last year, a baby panda named ‘Ksatrio’ or ‘Rio’ was born at Taman Safari Bogor, becoming a symbol of the strong friendship between Indonesia and China, especially Sichuan, given that Sichuan is the centre of panda conservation,” he revealed.
In addition, the tourism sector is a highly promising area of cooperation due to the opening of direct flights from Chengdu to Jakarta and Bali.
Meanwhile, Party Secretary Wang Xiaohui stated that Sichuan Province is the sixth largest economy in China. Sichuan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2025 reached around $1 trillion with an economic growth of 5.5 percent, or 0.5 percent higher than China’s national growth.
In addition, the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing also held a socialisation programme in Chengdu titled “Indonesia Updates: Partnership for Resilience”, attended by hundreds of invitees from media, businesspeople, academics, and government representatives.
“Last year, trade between Indonesia and Sichuan Province reached more than $2.1 billion. With this opening, Chengdu will become an important connecting point for strengthening cooperation not only in economic, trade, and investment fields, but also in healthcare, industrial transformation and energy, education, and tourism,” said Ambassador Djauhari at the event.
The Economic Function Coordinator of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, Anindityo Adi Primasto, at the same event, emphasised that with a large young population, abundant natural resources, and the Indonesian government’s economic policies, Indonesia is not only a promising economic partner but also complementary to Sichuan.
Meanwhile, for the education sector, the Education Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, Lestari Puspitaningsih, stated that educational cooperation between the two countries is becoming increasingly intensive.
“More and more Chinese students are interested in studying in Indonesia, including by utilising the Darmasiswa scholarship,” said Lestari.
Next, the Immigration Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, Herawan Sukoaji, explained that Indonesia’s immigration policies also support efforts to strengthen economic cooperation and people-to-people ties.
“The ‘golden visa’ facility provides opportunities for investors, innovators, and the Indonesian diaspora to reside in Indonesia for 5-10 years to invest and support development in Indonesia,” revealed Herawan.
A representative of the Sichuan Provincial Government, Liu Min, at the event, emphasised Sichuan’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Indonesia.
The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing also promoted Indonesian frozen durian, which has entered the Chinese market since January 2026, and various other Indonesian food and beverage products such as chips, crackers, coffee, etc.
Overall, bilateral trade between Indonesia and China in 2025 reached more than $167 billion or around Rp2,862 trillion, while investments reached $7.5 billion or around Rp128.5 trillion.
Sichuan Province is known to have industrial capacity in electronics, renewable energy, railways and transportation, photovoltaics, chemicals, and AI. Sichuan also has a battery industry that controls 10 percent of the world’s battery production.
Sichuan Province already has a “twin province” cooperation with West Java, while Chengdu has a “twin city” cooperation with Medan.
In addition to Sichuan Province, KJRI Chengdu will later handle cooperation with Chongqing City, Yunnan Province, Shaanxi Province, and Gansu Province.
Indonesia currently has three Consulates General in China, namely in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, several other ASEAN countries have more than two consulates. For example, Thailand has eight consulates, Vietnam has five consulates, and Malaysia has nine consulates.