Jakarta (GNP): China’s foreign and defence ministers met their Indonesian counterparts on Friday for wide-ranging talks covering security, politics and economic ties, as Jakarta continues balancing its relationship with both Beijing and Washington amid ongoing trade tensions and friction in the South China Sea.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, on his first visit to Jakarta in two years, met Indonesian counterpart Sugiono ahead of a joint “2+2” session that also brought together the two countries’ defence ministers. In his opening remarks, Wang said the timing of the meeting under a new dialogue mechanism was significant given ongoing global challenges, urging both sides to seize the moment for deeper cooperation.
He added that unilateral and hegemonic actions were damaging global stability, and said Beijing was committed to elevating cooperation with Indonesia to a higher level. Indonesian officials said the ministers would focus primarily on economic and political matters, while China’s foreign ministry indicated the agenda would also extend to defence cooperation and broader regional and international issues.
That focus on defence carried into the parallel meeting between the two countries’ military chiefs, where Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun was received with a formal honour guard at Indonesia’s defence ministry. Dong said the two militaries had considerable room to strengthen cooperation in ways that would help both countries safeguard their national interests and address external threats, describing the prospects for military collaboration as broad and increasingly effective.
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin echoed that outlook, confirming plans for expanded joint exercises, officer exchanges and defence industry partnerships, which he described as a forward-looking step in building Indonesia’s defence capacity.
The defence discussions followed a joint naval exercise conducted east of Taiwan last week by the Chinese and Indonesian navies, which drew objections from Taiwan, a territory Beijing considers part of its own. Indonesia’s navy characterised the drill as routine, noting it had also carried out similar exercises with Japan and the United States.
Even so, defence analyst Curie Maharani said the location of the exercise allowed China to convey a distinct political signal, adding that Indonesia had gained a clearer understanding of how larger powers use defence diplomacy as a tool of influence.
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Indonesia has its own separate disagreements with China over the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in full, though Jakarta has kept its public remarks measured and maintains it is not a direct party to the wider territorial disputes involving China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has repeatedly reaffirmed the country’s “free and active” non-aligned foreign policy, saying Indonesia intends to maintain friendly relations with both China and the United States.
Economic ties added further weight to Friday’s discussions, with China contributing 3.9 billion dollars in foreign direct investment to Indonesia during the first half of 2026, according to Indonesian government figures. That investment relationship has not been without strain, however.
In May, Chinese firms operating in Indonesia pressed the government for more business-friendly policies, arguing that higher taxes and a revised nickel pricing formula were raising costs and discouraging further investment. The China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia said in a letter that member companies faced excessively strict regulation and over-enforcement, along with allegations of corruption and extortion by local authorities.
Major Chinese investors in the country include a leading electric-vehicle battery manufacturer and a steelmaking group operating nickel smelters, positioning them at the centre of Indonesia’s vast nickel reserves.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
