Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto held a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia, H.E. Lu Kang, to promote enhanced cooperation between Indonesia and China in various sectors, particularly in economics, trade, and investment. Minister Airlangga announced that Indonesia will explore the establishment of an R&D Center in collaboration with Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and CNGR Co. Ltd. He highlighted that CNGR, a Chinese company based in Guangxi, China, possesses advanced technology in nickel processing. "This company has also invested in nickel processing and production in Morowali, Southeast Sulawesi," Airlangga stated in his official release on Tuesday (May 14).
Ambassador Lu Kang expressed his deep gratitude for the support and cooperation from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, which has strengthened and expanded bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and China. Ambassador Lu also bid farewell to Minister Airlangga, as his tenure in Indonesia has ended and he will be succeeded by a colleague from China. It is worth noting that China is one of Indonesia's main trading partners, with a total trade value of USD 127.8 billion in 2023. The trade balance between the two countries in 2023 showed equilibrium, with Indonesia achieving a surplus for the first time. In 2023, China was also the second-largest investor in Indonesia, after Singapore, with an investment amounting to USD 7.4 billion, a decrease of approximately 9.7% from USD 8.2 billion in 2022.
