China and Indonesia have decided to deepen their strategic partnership. The joint statement was released on November 10, 2024 at the end of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s state visit to China from November 8 to 10, his first international trip since taking office. President Xi Jinping highlighted the “deep traditional friendship and high-level political mutual trust” between the two nations, underlining the economic implications of this strengthened partnership.
The agreement outlines an expansion of cooperation across five key pillars: political, economic, people-to-people, maritime and security. In particular, China has pledged to support Indonesia’s key development initiatives. The North Kalimantan Industrial Park, located on the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo, is a project set to attract billions in infrastructure funding. It is set to become a major hub for processing raw materials such as nickel and other minerals essential for electric vehicle batteries.
Furthermore, the “Green Mineral Resources Partnership” indicates a focus on sustainable mining and resource management.
President Xi expressed strong support for Indonesia’s “Golden Indonesia 2045” vision, saying, “We believe that Indonesia will launch a new stage of national development.”
In terms of strategic and security ties, the commitment to implement the first 2+2 dialogue mechanism for foreign and defense ministers in 2025 could ensure a more stable geopolitical landscape.
President Prabowo expressed gratitude for China’s warm welcome and invited President Xi to visit Indonesia, strengthening the shared commitment to promoting open communication and strategic cooperation.