Reflection on the 75th years of Indonesia-China relations (The Jakarta Post)
Of the 75 years of diplomatic relations, the Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (ICCSP), established in 2013, is the era when giant leaps occurred. The value of bilateral trade in 2013 was US$52.45 billion; by 2024, it had nearly tripled to $135.17 billion, with exports accounting for 23.6 per cent of our total exports and 31.1 per cent of our total imports. Indonesia is the 16th export destination partner (2 percent of China's total exports) and the 11th import origin partner (3.2 percent). Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) data show that Chinese investment jumped from 12th place in 2013 ($297 million) to second place ($8.1 billion) by 2024, with 59 percent average investment growth over the past decade. These figures exclude Hong Kong SAR. When diplomatic normalization began, relations moved glacially. The consequences of two decades of frozen diplomatic ties and three decades of the New Order's assimilation policy were still chronically felt....