China Indonesia cooperation, from "four-wheel drive" to "five pillars"

Editor's note: Indonesian President Prabowo paid a state visit to China from November 8th to 10th, and Global Times reporters noticed that the relevant developments have received widespread attention from the Indonesian people. Indonesians increasingly value China, which cannot be separated from the friendly policy towards China upheld by former President Joko Widodo during his two 10-year terms. The comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia has entered its 12th year, and the political, economic, cultural, and maritime "four-wheel drive" cooperation between the two countries has been upgraded to "five pillar" cooperation, including security cooperation. Indonesian scholars believe that behind the economic development led by Joko Widodo, cooperation between China and Indonesia plays an important role. Prabowo has shown recognition and continuation of Joko Widodo's foreign policy both during his campaign and after taking office. Experts told Global Times reporters that Prabowo not only has the political ambition to give Indonesia greater leadership in regional and global affairs, but also has developed a roadmap for achieving this goal through his international cooperation perspective, which opens up broader prospects for China Indonesia cooperation.

Prabowo's visit to China news has high click through rates

On the evening of the 10th, two out of the top 10 most clicked news articles on the website of Indonesia's largest newspaper, "Lopan Ilbo," were about Prabowo's visit to China. Regarding Prabowo's visit to China, the Indonesian national news agency Antara has made multiple detailed reports, sparking heated discussions among the Indonesian people. Under the news about Prabowo's visit to China on the social media platform account of the news agency, several Indonesian netizens quoted the famous saying of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and commented, "Learn, even if you are far away in China

According to the Straits Times of Singapore, Yudhistara, Executive Director of the Jakarta based think tank Center for Economic and Legal Studies, stated that Prabowo's first overseas visit to China after taking office indicates his desire to continue economic cooperation with China, just like during the tenure of his predecessor, President Joko Widodo, who said that "President Prabowo hopes China will continue to play a key role".

It is not surprising that the Indonesian people value Prabowo's visit to China. In the more than a year since the Global Times' special correspondent in Indonesia arrived in the capital Jakarta in April last year, he has repeatedly felt the Indonesian people's optimism towards China, especially the increasing "presence" of Chinese enterprises in the lives of Indonesian people. Taking food as an example, Meixue Ice City chain stores are blooming in urban and rural areas of Indonesia, Kudi Coffee can be seen everywhere in commercial districts of big cities, and Joyday ice cream produced locally by Yili Indonesian Dairy has become a hot selling product in many supermarkets and convenience stores in the area.

"Studying in China has given me a personal experience of 'China's speed'." Ricco, an Indonesian who has studied in Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics for four years, told the Global Times special correspondent, "When I first arrived in China in 2014, the payment method was mainly by swiping cards or paying cash. In the twinkling of an eye, Alipay and WeChat payment have developed." Ricco loves Chinese culture and history very much. When he was in Beijing, he was most interested in cultural attractions and traditional buildings such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, hutongs, and museums, and almost every weekend he went to visit such places.

From May 27 to June 21 this year, the Global Times Research Institute took the initiative of jointly building the "the Belt and Road" as the topic, and conducted a survey of permanent residents aged 18-70 in 13 countries, including Indonesia, by means of online sample library invitation and answering. Data shows that the awareness rates of the Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway, Sima Bridge, and Bandung Expressway among the Indonesian public are not less than 90%. As for the possible impact of the joint construction of the "the Belt and Road" on Indonesia, more than 90% of the people chose to "promote economic development", "improve infrastructure construction" and "promote scientific and technological development", and more than 80% chose to "improve people's lives" and "improve social governance". When asked if they are willing to work for Chinese companies or projects, as many as 94% of Indonesian respondents said they are "willing to go" or "would consider going".

The closeness between the Indonesian people and China cannot be separated from former Indonesian President Joko Widodo's friendly policy towards China over the past decade. Ma Bo, Associate Professor and Assistant Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center for South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University, told Global Times reporters that Prabowo had used "keberlanjutan" (continuity) as his campaign slogan and appointed 16 officials who had previously served in the Joko administration in the new cabinet. This reflects Prabowo's recognition of Joko Widodo's policies and indicates that he will continue his pragmatic approach of non alignment, balanced diplomacy, and focusing on national interests.

We have consolidated strategic trust with China in almost all fields

Looking back, during Joko Widodo's two 10-year terms starting from 2014, Indonesia's infrastructure has greatly improved, the economy has maintained a high growth rate of over 5% for a long time, inflation rates have been kept low, and the proportion of people living in poverty has significantly decreased. Indonesian scholars believe that behind President Joko Widodo's achievements, cooperation between China and Indonesia has played an indispensable role.

On August 16th of this year, on the occasion of Indonesia's 79th anniversary of independence, Joko Widodo delivered a state of the nation address, summarizing his two terms in office: "In the past 10 years, the Indonesian government has focused on development, starting from the periphery, starting from villages, starting from the most remote areas..." He listed a series of impressive figures: the government has built 366000 kilometers of rural roads, 2700 kilometers of new toll roads, 6000 kilometers of national roads, 50 new ports and airports, 43 dams, and 1.1 million hectares of new irrigation systems. Through these constructions, we have reduced logistics costs from 24% to 14% by 2023, elevating China's competitiveness ranking from 44th in the world to 27th this year

Zoko said that despite facing the COVID-19 epidemic, climate change and global geopolitical challenges, "Indonesia has become one of the few countries with rapid economic recovery and sustained growth". He said, 'Our economic growth rate has consistently remained above 5%, while the inflation rate remains between 2% and 3%.' Indonesia's extreme poverty rate has dropped from 6.1% to 0.8% this year, and the unemployment rate has dropped from 5.7% to 4.8%.

The changes in Indonesia over the past decade, especially the rapid economic development and improvement of infrastructure, are closely related to the deep cooperation between China and Indonesia. Fajar Hilawan, Senior Researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Business and Economics, told a Global Times correspondent that, taking the Indonesian government's strong promotion of nickel mine downstream policies as an example, Chinese enterprises have played a major role in it, such as the Morowali Industrial Park invested by China's Qingshan Group and the Delong North Morowali Industrial Park invested by China's Delong Group, both of which are gathering places for downstream nickel mine enterprises in Indonesia. Hiravan said: "The Zoko government has focused on infrastructure, human capital and industrialization, which has promoted economic growth and regional integration. China has played a key role in this process, and the joint construction of the the Belt and Road initiative has been the cornerstone of cooperation between Indonesia and Indonesia in the past 10 years."

In Hirawan's view, economic development has brought improvements to the clothing, food, housing, and transportation of the Indonesian people, and China's contribution in this area is particularly outstanding. As a landmark project of cooperation between the two countries, the Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway not only shortens travel time but also promotes economic development in the surrounding areas. Many Chinese new energy vehicle companies have entered the Indonesian market to provide green transportation for the public.

In terms of economy and trade, China is Indonesia's largest trading partner and second largest source of foreign investment. Hirawan told reporters that Chinese clothing, ceramics, electronic products and other goods are very popular among Indonesian people, and "the increase in bilateral trade volume from 68.354 billion US dollars in 2013 to 139.42 billion US dollars in 2023 is the best proof". China itself has undergone significant transformation during this period, shifting towards innovation driven growth and enhancing its global influence. This transformation will help deepen the economic relationship between China and Indonesia, especially in industries such as digital economy and green energy development, "said Hirawan

President Joko Widodo has consolidated strategic trust with China in almost all areas, "Mohammad Habib, a researcher at the International Relations Research Department of the Indonesian Center for Strategic and International Studies, told reporters. In the field of political security, Indonesia and China have been continuously promoting the high-level diplomatic relationship of comprehensive strategic partnership since 2013. Both sides have also established a '2+2' dialogue mechanism between the Chinese and Indonesian Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers, and will hold their first ministerial level meeting next year, demonstrating their commitment to resolving foreign policy and defense issues on this platform. On the economic stage, China supports the development of President Joko Widodo's major projects, including the Morowali Industrial Park and the Jakarta Bandung high-speed railway. In the social and cultural field, there are countless opportunities for exchange between universities, scholars, and young people, and the number of people traveling to each other's countries has significantly increased.

Nowadays, more and more Indonesian youth are also starting to learn Chinese. In recent years, Chinese has become a popular major in Indonesia, and many universities are expanding their Chinese majors, especially national universities. For example, the Chinese majors at Malang National University, Surabaya National University, and Jakarta National University have been expanding their enrollment by nearly double each year, "said Wang Daxin, the Chinese dean of the Confucius Institute at the University of Alaja in Indonesia, to a special reporter from Global Times

Looking back at the past 10 years, China Indonesia relations have entered a great opportunity for development. Looking ahead to the future, there is still great potential for cooperation between the two countries, "Hirawan told a Global Times correspondent. The construction of Indonesia's new capital, Nusantara, provides a significant opportunity for future cooperation. China's expertise in urban planning, infrastructure, and green economy development makes it a potential partner for the development of Nusantara. Habib believes that in addition to major projects such as the construction of the new capital, both sides can also focus their cooperation on livelihood related issues, including food and energy security. For example, Chinese enterprises can not only sell household electric vehicles, but also explore the market for electric public transportation vehicles, making green transportation accessible to everyone.

The mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Indonesia will add new vitality to peace and development in Asia and even globally

On November 9th, China and Indonesia issued a joint statement on promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership and building a community with a shared future between China and Indonesia, which has significant implications in various aspects. Xu Liping, a researcher at the Asia Pacific and Global Strategy Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, analyzed to Global Times reporters that China and Indonesia are both ancient civilizations with a long history and cultural tradition. Both countries are developing countries and members of emerging economies with similar development tasks, which forms the basis for the goal of jointly building a community with a shared future.

In the statement, China and Indonesia agreed to upgrade their political, economic, cultural, and maritime "four-wheel drive" cooperation to "five pillar" cooperation, and increase security cooperation to the fifth pillar. Xu Liping told Global Times reporters that adding the pillar of "security" is a natural result, and security cooperation is undoubtedly an important guarantee for the "four-wheel drive". In the traditional security field, both sides work together to maintain regional peace and stability, such as in the South China Sea issue, where the two countries have jointly promoted consultations on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea". In the field of non-traditional security, the cooperation between the two sides is also extensive, including addressing climate change, jointly combating transnational crime, and dealing with financial risks. For example, China and Indonesia have signed a bilateral currency swap agreement to ensure economic stability.

Ma Bo from Nanjing University told Global Times reporters that Prabowo believes Indonesia has the potential to play a greater leadership role in the "global south", even surpassing the "global maritime pivot" concept proposed by Joko Widodo. Prabowo not only has the ambition to shape Indonesia as a leader in the 'Global South', but also has a clear roadmap for achieving this goal through its international cooperation perspective. Firstly, Prabowo promises to continue to adhere to Indonesia's independent foreign policy of not forming alliances with any major powers. Secondly, Prabowo regards economic development as the top priority of the new government and plans to increase Indonesia's economic growth rate from the current 5% to 8% within the next 5 years. The economic and trade ties between China and Indonesia are crucial for achieving this goal. In addition, Prabowo hopes to enhance Indonesia's voice in regional and global affairs. Since his election, he has visited all ASEAN countries except Myanmar, and the new government has announced plans to join the BRICS countries to promote cooperation with developing countries.

Ma Bo told Global Times reporters that Prabowo's visit to China has resulted in the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents, opening up broader prospects for cooperation. First, under the framework of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, China Indonesia cooperation in infrastructure construction will continue to deepen. The two countries are committed to promoting the construction of the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor" and "Two Countries, Two Parks" projects, which not only involve key infrastructure such as transportation, energy, and information and communication, but also expand cooperation in high-tech and emerging industries such as smart cities, 5G technology, and digital economy. Secondly, cooperation between China and Indonesia in the field of resource economy is expected to strengthen. Prabowo continues the relevant policies of the Joko government, hoping to attract foreign investment to promote the development of its nickel industry and other resource economies. Currently, Chinese enterprises have a significant advantage in the Indonesian nickel processing market with advanced technology. Thirdly, China and Indonesia have broad prospects for cooperation in non-traditional security areas, especially in combating illegal fishing, maintaining security in the Malacca Sea, and strengthening environmental protection.

We have reason to believe that China Indonesia relations will usher in new opportunities. In Mabo's view, the Prabowo government will bring new development opportunities to China Indonesia relations through the above-mentioned cooperation and set a positive example for regional cooperation. This mutually beneficial and win-win cooperative relationship will help the two countries work together in a complex international environment, adding new vitality to peace and development in Asia and even globally.