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Indonesia and China should focus on solidarity and cooperation with an approach of strategic maturity, as their ties bear significance far beyond either bilateral or regional dimensions.
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Foreign Minister Sugiono (second right) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (second left) stand with their defense counterparts Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin (right) and Dong Jun for a photo op on Aug. 21, 2026, during the Indonesia-China joint foreign and defense ministerial dialogue at the Foreign Ministry in Centra Jakarta. (Reuters/Edgar Su)
I
ndonesia and China really need to get their relationship right, not just for themselves but also for peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
Last week in Jakarta, the two countries showed they understood the stakes, holding the second 2+2 foreign and defense ministerial meeting and launching the Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue foreign ministers’ mechanism, both under the Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. These were not ceremonial talks but a deliberate step to lock in regular, high-level dialogue.
Beyond security and defense, the talks placed heavy emphasis on economic partnership and joint development, agreeing to expand bilateral trade, bolster green energy and mineral cooperation, deepen local currency transactions and advance key infrastructure under Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative.
They also pledged to broaden law enforcement collaboration, tackling transnational crime, telecommunications fraud and cybercrime to safeguard economic stability.
China is Asia’s largest country and sole superpower; Indonesia is Southeast Asia’s biggest player and the world’s fourth-most populous country that has firmly established itself as a middle power with real diplomatic weight. When two forces of this scale manage their ties carefully, the benefits spread far beyond their borders. But the opposite also holds true.
The timing could hardly be more important. Wars are breaking out in other parts of the globe, great power tensions are rising, and the rules-based international order is under pressure. In this climate, constructive engagement between a superpower and a pivotal middle power is not optional but essential.
The Chinese foreign minister put it clearly: As major developing countries and key members of the Global South, China and Indonesia should foster closer solidarity and cooperation. The significance of that effort, Wang Yi said, “bears significance far beyond the bilateral dimension and will play an exemplary and leading role at regional and global levels”.
