JAKARTA — The South China Morning Post (SCMP), in collaboration with the Kamar Dagang dan Industri (Kadin) Indonesia and Danantara Indonesia, officially hosted the China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026 at The St. Regis Jakarta on Tuesday (10/02/2026).

The flagship SCMP conference underscored Indonesia’s increasingly strategic role as a regional economic hub for investment, supply chain resilience, and economic diplomacy, amid deepening strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia. The forum served as a platform to shape policy dialogue, strengthen business ties, and drive innovation across ASEAN and beyond.

Chairman of Kadin Indonesia Anindya Novyan Bakrie noted that the conference took place at a significant moment, as Indonesia and China commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations.

“This meeting reminds us that partnerships in this region are built on real trade, real investment, and real cooperation that support growth and development. Your presence today sends a strong message that cooperation in Asia remains alive and well,” said Anindya, widely known as Anin.

He highlighted that despite global challenges—including geopolitical fragmentation, economic nationalism, supply chain concerns, and technological competition—Southeast Asia and China continue to collaborate consistently.

“We are witnessing expanding trade, sustained capital flows, and deepening partnerships. This reflects a shared understanding that prosperity cannot be built in isolation,” he said.

Anin emphasized that Indonesia’s relationship with China is not merely an economic choice but a strategic reality. China remains Indonesia’s largest trading partner, a major source of foreign investment, and a key collaborator in industrial development and infrastructure transformation.

Two-way trade between Indonesia and China reached US$136 billion in 2024. From January to October 2025, trade value had already reached US$125 billion. On the investment front, Chinese investment in Indonesia totaled US$8 billion in 2024 and reached US$5.4 billion between January and September 2025. Meanwhile, Indonesian investment in China has also continued to grow as part of expanding market access and supply chain partnerships.

People-to-people relations are also strengthening. Approximately 1.2 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia in 2024, with more than 1.1 million arrivals recorded between January and October 2025. The Indonesian diaspora in China and the Greater China region, including Hong Kong, continues to maintain business, educational, and cultural connectivity.

Anin cited Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, who once described Hong Kong as a meeting point between East and West, capital and opportunity, ideas and execution. “We agree with that view,” Anin remarked.

The conference discussions focused on economic integration, advanced technology, sustainable investment, responsible mining, green transition, and digital transformation—areas seen as capable of generating shared value and long-term competitiveness for Indonesia and China.

According to Anin, Indonesia and China have the potential to become two of the most important engines of global growth over the next decade. However, he stressed that growth alone is not sufficient.

“The true measure of success is whether that growth lifts people out of poverty, expands opportunities, and creates resilience for communities and small businesses in our region,” he stated.

Kadin Indonesia, he added, is encouraging deeper collaboration with Chinese and regional partners through three main priorities: industrial and supply chain partnerships, digital and technology cooperation, and green and sustainable investment.

“Let us work together to ensure our region remains a driver of stability and peace, a center of global growth and innovation, and most importantly, a source of shared prosperity that creates opportunities for our people,” Anin concluded.

The conference featured prominent figures including former Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Leung Chun-ying, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Indonesia Airlangga Hartarto, SCMP Publisher Tammy Tam, Chief Investment Officer of Danantara Indonesia Pandu Sjahrir, Presidential Special Envoy for Climate and Energy Hashim S. Djojohadikusumo, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Indonesia Wang Qing, Ambassador of China to ASEAN Zhou Kan, and Deputy Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong SAR Government Horace Cheung Kwok-kwan.

Leaders from multinational corporations and financial institutions—including Alibaba Cloud, HSBC, Huawei, Ant International, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, Fosun Health, FWD Group, and OCBC—also took part in the discussions.