Jakarta — China and Indonesia have taken a significant step towards strengthening their bilateral relationship by agreeing to enhance cooperation in defense, security, and various other fields. On Monday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Defense Minister Dong Jun co-chaired the first Ministerial Meeting of the China-Indonesia Joint Foreign and Defense Ministerial Dialogue with Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Sugiono and Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.
The meeting marked a milestone in relations between the two nations, as both sides vowed to deepen strategic mutual trust and maintain close high-level exchanges. “This dialogue mechanism fully demonstrates the high strategic mutual trust between our countries and enriches the China-Indonesia community with a shared future,” said Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
China expressed readiness to use this mechanism as a primary platform for enhancing political, security, and defense cooperation. Wang Yi emphasized the importance of supporting each other’s core interests, strengthening high-level exchanges, and enhancing dialogue in various fields. “We aim to build a safe and stable cross-border industrial and supply chain,” he added, highlighting the potential for advancing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Defense Minister Dong Jun noted that deepening defense and security cooperation amid the current international situation will provide strong support for building a China-Indonesia community with regional and global influence. “We are willing to work with Indonesia to build a new framework of defense and security cooperation with deeper strategic mutual trust,” Dong said.
On the Indonesian side, Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that the dialogue mechanism showcases the comprehensive, high-level, and strategic nature of Indonesia’s relations with China. “Indonesia will work with China to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in economy and trade, agriculture and fisheries, energy, healthcare, and the digital economy,” he said.
Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin called for strengthening strategic dialogue and enhancing cooperation in defense and maritime security to jointly respond to global challenges. The two sides also discussed international and regional issues of common concern, such as the situation in the Middle East, and reached broad consensus.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Wang Yi and Sugiono signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a comprehensive strategic dialogue mechanism. Additionally, both countries signed cooperation documents in areas such as maritime security cooperation.
This enhanced collaboration between China and Indonesia signals a commitment to promoting regional peace and stability, while also fostering development in sectors vital to both nations.
