Direct Wuhan–Indonesia Shipping Route Strengthens Central China's Connectivity with Southeast Asia

The direct Wuhan–Indonesia shipping route is enhancing logistics connectivity between central China and Southeast Asia.

Wuhan (ANTARA) — The vessel Lanning 19, carrying more than 10,000 tonnes of equipment and materials, departed from Yangluo Port in Wuhan for Sambalagi Port in Indonesia on June 16, 2026. The voyage marked the 81st trip since the launch of the direct Wuhan–Indonesia river-sea shipping route on November 30, 2024.

The cargo was intended to support GEM Group’s development projects in Indonesia.

In total, the two-way Yangluo Port–Indonesia route has recorded more than 100 voyages, transporting 620,000 tonnes of cargo with a trade value of approximately US$1.4 billion. The route accounts for more than 50 percent of trade between Hubei Province and Indonesia.

The direct Wuhan–Indonesia shipping route was initiated by the Hubei Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Hubei Provincial Government, with support from local maritime and port authorities. The route was established to address cross-border logistics challenges faced by companies in Hubei.

Before the route became operational, most imports and exports from Hubei had to transit through coastal ports such as Shanghai, Huangpu, and Ningbo. Following the opening of the direct route, vessels have been able to sail from the Yangtze River through the East China Sea and the South China Sea directly to Indonesia.

According to data provided by GEM Chairman Xu Kaihua, the route has shortened delivery times by more than seven days and reduced logistics costs by more than 300 yuan per tonne. The improved efficiency has enhanced the competitiveness of inland Chinese enterprises in international markets.

In addition to Indonesia, vessels operating on the route can also call at ports in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore, expanding market access for companies in central China across Southeast Asia.

Building a Two-Way Logistics Network

As trade activity has increased, the shipping route has gradually developed into a more balanced two-way logistics network.

Xu Kaihua said that, to date, 240,000 tonnes of nickel resources and other strategic raw materials worth US$1.1 billion have been shipped from Indonesia to Wuhan. Meanwhile, shipments of equipment and materials from Wuhan to Indonesia have reached 380,000 cubic metres, with a total value of around US$300 million.

The logistics corridor not only secures supplies of key raw materials for China's new energy industry but also supports the overseas export of Chinese manufacturing equipment and technologies.

The opening of the route also coincides with growing investment by Hubei-based companies in Indonesia. In recent years, companies from Hubei, including GEM, have invested in developing green nickel-based industrial parks in Indonesia.

These investments have supported the transformation of Indonesia’s nickel processing industry toward the new energy sector while strengthening the global new energy supply chain.

Education and Innovation Cooperation

Beyond economic and industrial cooperation, GEM has invested nearly US$50 million in establishing the Indonesia–China Joint Master's and Doctoral Engineering Programmes, the Bandung Joint Research Laboratory, and the Indonesia–China Elite Engineers Academy.

To date, these programmes have produced 266 local engineering and professional talents.

Cooperation in education and scientific research has further strengthened people-to-people ties between Indonesia and China and supported the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

As economic ties between the two countries continue to deepen, the Hubei General Chamber of Commerce Indonesia was officially established in October 2025. The organisation is expected to enhance cooperation and support the development of the Hubei business community in Indonesia.

Regular operations of the direct Wuhan–Indonesia shipping route are expected to further open up central China's economy and inject fresh momentum into China–ASEAN economic and trade cooperation under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Beyond infrastructure connectivity, relations between Indonesia and China have continued to expand through industrial integration, educational cooperation, and increasingly close cultural exchanges.

Reporter: PR Wire

Editor: PR Wire

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