The 15th Five-Year Plan Will Bring Four Opportunities for Indonesia - Antara News Jatim

China’s development is inseparable from the world, and the world’s development also requires China.

Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Two Sessions (Lianghui) of China, which concluded in March this year, reviewed and approved China’s 15th National Economic and Social Development Five-Year Plan. This plan covers major fields and crucial stages of economic and social development, outlining 16 strategic tasks and 109 key projects, designing a blueprint for development over the next five years, and mapping out an “implementation plan” for China to achieve fundamental socialist modernisation by 2035. What are the benefits of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan for Indonesia? I would like to elaborate from four aspects: a vast-scale market, safe and high-growth value investments, advanced productivity exports, and accelerated exchanges between the peoples of the two countries, to help Indonesian friends understand the opportunities from China and create new spaces for cooperation.

First, the opportunity of a vast-scale market. China remains the world’s second-largest consumer market, with a population of 1.4 billion and more than 400 million middle-income groups. Consumption capacity continues to grow steadily, making it one of the world’s largest consumer markets with the greatest potential. In 2025, China’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will reach a new level of 140 trillion RMB for the first time. Total retail sales of consumer goods will exceed 50 trillion yuan, and the total scale of goods trade imports will reach 18.48 trillion RMB. This continues to provide valuable stability and new impetus for global economic growth. In recent years, China-Indonesia economic and trade cooperation has continued to deepen. In 2025, the total bilateral trade value will exceed $167.48 billion, up 13.4% year-on-year. The two sides have achieved zero or low tariffs for various commodities based on the free trade agreement. Indonesia’s major commodity exports such as palm oil and rubber to China remain at the top ranks. Characteristic consumer products like coffee, tropical fruits, and bird’s nest are increasingly recognised and their sales continue to rise in the Chinese market, becoming an important driver for Indonesia’s foreign trade growth. Over the next five years, China’s total imports are expected to reach $14 trillion to $15 trillion. China’s vast market, with an even more open attitude, welcomes products and companies from various countries, including Indonesia, to participate, share opportunities, and grow together.

Second, the opportunity of safe and high-growth value investments. As one of the safest countries in the world, China has long-term social stability and a complete legal system. China has been, is, and will certainly continue to be an ideal, safe, and profitable investment destination for foreign investors. In 2025, China will establish more than 70,000 new foreign-invested enterprises, up 19.1% year-on-year. Investment received in the high-tech sector will reach 32.3%, fully demonstrating the strong confidence of global investors in China. China continues to create a fair, stable, predictable, and safe investment environment for foreign companies, ensuring comprehensive equal treatment, and providing full-chain services from investment registration to operational development. This year, the latest edition of China’s Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment contains 1,679 entries, covering new productivity fields such as advanced manufacturing, modern services, high technology, and green development. At the same time, the national negative list for foreign investment access has been reduced to 29 entries, and all foreign investment access restrictions in the manufacturing sector have been completely eliminated. The “Invest in China” policy now offers unprecedented policy benefits. China welcomes investors from various countries, including Indonesia, to invest and develop businesses in China, deeply align industrial strategies, share high-quality development opportunities, and achieve mutual benefits.

Third, the opportunity of advanced productivity exports. Recently, Indonesia has issued the 2025–2029 Strategic Plan (Renstra 2025–2029), which sets a target to double manufacturing investment by 2029. Indonesia will strive to rely on local superior resources such as mineral resources, energy, agriculture, and maritime to promote industrial downstreaming strategies, transforming from a pure raw material exporter to a high value-added industrial country. This is highly aligned and complementary with China’s advantages in advanced technology and production capacity. China has the world’s leading advanced manufacturing capabilities, as well as the world’s largest scale and most complete manufacturing system. In recent years, China’s complete supply chains, mature technology, and superior experience in advanced manufacturing, low-carbon green development, and infrastructure construction have been increasingly exported through the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative, continuously providing development opportunities for the international community. China’s advanced productivity exports are not one-way product outflows, let alone capacity transfers, but in-depth cooperation that achieves technology sharing, joint industrial development, standard alignment, and mutual benefits. This will certainly help the transformation and upgrading of Indonesia’s industries and benefit the Indonesian people. For example, the Surabaya Waste-to-Energy Power Plant invested by a Chinese company is currently the only waste-to-energy power plant built and operational in Indonesia. Through cooperation