Indonesia-China mutual trust remains strong: minister

Beijing (ANTARA) - Mutual trust between Indonesia and China remains strong, with both countries committed to strengthening bilateral relations, Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa said.

"Our discussions were engaging, highly constructive, and demonstrated that China's trust in us, and our trust in the Chinese government, remain equally strong," he told ANTARA in Beijing on Thursday evening (June 18).

Purbaya made the statement after holding meetings with Chinese Finance Minister Lan Fo'an, officials from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), as well as several investors during his visit to China from June 16 to 19, 2026.

"They did raise questions about Indonesia's current situation, and I was able to explain and reassure them that there are no problems with our economic fundamentals," he said.

However, the minister acknowledged that Chinese business players had conveyed several concerns regarding certain Indonesian government policies, which they said had disrupted the smooth operation of their investments in the country.

"President Prabowo has responded to the matter, and he will improve the investment climate to ensure the Chinese government and investors can do business fairly in Indonesia," he remarked.

China is one of Indonesia's key economic partners, contributing US$5.4 billion in investment to the country in 2025, an increase of 13.5 percent from the previous year.

In the first quarter of 2026, Chinese investment in Indonesia reached $2.2 billion, a 22 percent year-on-year increase, with nearly half of that capital flowing into the industrial downstream industry.

China ranked as the third-largest source of foreign investment for Indonesia during the period, following Singapore at US$4.6 billion, and Hong Kong at US$2.7 billion.

Earlier in May 2026, the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia sent a letter to President Prabowo Subianto expressing serious concerns over regulatory changes and strict law enforcement.

The concerns included a massive 70 percent reduction in nickel ore mining quotas, royalty hikes, planned stricter export revenue retention rules, and increasingly complicated visa procedures.

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Translator: Desca Lidya, Raka Adji

Editor: Bayu Prasetyo

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