Beijing – A delegation from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia) visited China as part of efforts to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries.

“Our primary objective is to help increase Indonesia–China trade. Earlier, it was mentioned that bilateral trade between Indonesia and China has reached US$168 billion, but it still trails Malaysia and Vietnam. If we can further increase that figure, it would be highly beneficial,” said Chairman of Kadin Indonesia, Anindya Novyan Bakrie, at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing on Sunday (June 21).

Anindya, commonly known as Anin, traveled to China to attend a series of events, including the China International Supply Chain Expo, the APEC CEO Forum in Beijing, the Summer Davos 2026 in Dalian, as well as meetings with various business partners.

Trade between Indonesia and China reached US$167.48 billion in 2025, with Indonesian exports recording a 16.7 percent increase.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s trade with Hong Kong stood at approximately US$6 billion. Combined, Indonesia’s total trade with China and Hong Kong amounted to around US$173 billion.

However, this figure remains below Malaysia’s trade volume with China, which reached US$191.66 billion, while Vietnam ranked as China’s largest trading partner in ASEAN with total trade valued at US$296.14 billion.

“When we talk about trade, it is not only about the major commodities. The ‘big three’ are palm oil, coal, and steel, but beyond those sectors there are many other products with smaller volumes that also hold significant potential,” Anin added.

Kadin Indonesia’s second objective is to encourage greater Chinese investment in Indonesia.

“Indonesia needs investment to achieve its economic growth target of 8 percent and to create more jobs. Therefore, our goal is clearly to increase both trade and investment,” Anin said.

In addition, Anin noted that Kadin Indonesia seeks to learn from its Chinese counterparts in order to foster businesses that are more resilient, transparent, open, and sustainable.

“We also aim to facilitate knowledge transfer through our meetings and engagements,” he added.

According to Anin, several sectors should be prioritized for future Chinese investment in Indonesia, with energy transition topping the list.

“Indonesia possesses abundant energy resources, including coal, oil and gas, as well as critical minerals. This sector will continue to provide opportunities for Chinese companies to invest—not only through financing and downstream processing, but also through advanced manufacturing technologies and even artificial intelligence,” Anin explained.

The objective, he said, is to make mining activities, mineral processing, and manufacturing operations more productive, efficient, and safer.

“Second, I believe China is a global leader in renewable energy. Therefore, industries related to solar power, wind energy, hydropower, and other renewable energy sources present significant opportunities for collaboration,” he added.

The third priority sector is healthcare, given Indonesia’s growing demand for quality healthcare services.

“As the population ages, the need for healthcare facilities will continue to increase. At the same time, prevention is always better than treatment because it is more efficient. China’s technological expertise and investment capacity in this sector hold tremendous potential,” Anin said.

The fourth sector is agriculture, which remains a major source of employment in Indonesia.

“Green agriculture, smart farming, and the application of artificial intelligence in agriculture are areas where China can make valuable contributions to our partnership,” he added.

Anin emphasized that China is known as a patient, long-term investor.

“We greatly value this collaboration. Therefore, we hope to expand our cooperation further, including in human capital development through training programs that can accelerate industrialization and digitalization,” he said.

During the meeting, Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia, Djauhari Oratmangun, revealed that Chinese investment in Indonesia reached approximately US$7.58 billion in 2025.

Investment from Hong Kong amounted to US$10.1 billion during the same period. Combined, total investment from China and Hong Kong in Indonesia reached approximately US$18 billion in 2025, making them Indonesia’s largest source of foreign direct investment.