Young Chinese Build Careers, Connections and Hope in Indonesia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Along the muddy coastline of Kalibaru, a fishing village in North Jakarta, rusty boats gently sway beside a makeshift classroom with a corrugated iron roof. Every weekend, dozens of Indonesian children gather there to learn Mandarin from Chinese volunteer teachers.
For Chai Yinhui, a Chinese volunteer teacher who is also the owner of food logistics company PT Serba Agro Tani International, this classroom is more than just a charity project.
It is one example of how an increasing number of young Chinese people in Indonesia are not only focused on business ventures but also striving to build deeper connections with local communities.
From entrepreneurs and teachers to legal professionals, many young Chinese people in Indonesia, who arrived amidst uncertainty and overcame various cultural obstacles, have chosen to establish their lives there while fostering cross-community exchanges between the two countries.
The Struggle in a Foreign Land
For many newcomers, the biggest challenge is not the business itself but adapting to an entirely foreign environment.
Yi Yan, a Chinese entrepreneur who arrived in Indonesia in 2014, said that he initially came as a technical staff member at a pharmaceutical company before eventually deciding to settle in Indonesia and start his own business.
His first venture, a trading company selling solar panels and building materials, did not go smoothly. Language barriers, complicated administrative procedures, and an unfamiliar work culture quickly became obstacles.
“Everything had to start from scratch,” recalled Yi, now in his 30s. “How to register a company, recruit local employees, and communicate with government departments were all new things.”
Not long after, he shifted to the language services business and founded IF Language School in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic again dealt a heavy blow. Face-to-face teaching activities almost completely stopped, and his company’s operations nearly came to a standstill.
For Lai Yanmin, who now serves as the head of a Chinese law firm’s representative office in Indonesia called Topwe Law Firm, difficulties arose in another form: bridging significant differences in business culture and legal systems.
He said that Indonesian lawyers often have difficulty understanding the decision-making processes of Chinese companies, while Chinese companies find it difficult to adapt to local regulations and customs in Indonesia.
“In cross-border cooperation, misunderstandings can easily occur if both parties do not fully understand each other,” Lai said.
Building Roots Through Perseverance
Despite the various challenges, these young Chinese people gradually found ways to build their careers in Indonesia.
Lai, who majored in Indonesian Language at university, decided to pursue a career in law after graduating in 2017.
In his early career, he translated a 650,000-word document on Indonesian labor law. This challenging task not only deepened his understanding of the archipelagic country’s legal system but also helped Chinese investors navigate the Indonesian market better.
His language skills and understanding of both cultures eventually turned him into a bridge between Chinese companies and their partners in Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Yi turned difficulties into opportunities. During the pandemic, when business activities were slowing down, he began creating Mandarin-language videos explaining Indonesian policies and daily life for the Chinese community abroad.
One of his videos containing information about travel regulations in Indonesia garnered millions of views and helped many Chinese citizens stranded during the pandemic.
This experience then helped him develop his language services business as more and more Chinese companies expanded into the Southeast Asian market after the pandemic. His school now provides language training to nearly 20,000 students.
In addition to teaching Mandarin in the Kalibaru fishing village, Chai still travels daily from downtown Jakarta to various communities, striving to strengthen food supply chains while expanding his customer base.
For young Chinese people living in this country, Indonesia is no longer just a place to work. Through perseverance, adaptability, and close engagement with local communities, they are building their own lives while deepening cultural ties between the two countries.