Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF)

ISBN: 978-623-6999-29-5 (PDF) pp.1-193

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF CHINA-INDONESIA RELATIONS IN 2022

무하마드 줄피카 라크맛(연구교수, 부산외국어대학교 아세안연구원)

[Abstract]

 2022 was another crucial year for China-Indonesia relations. The cooperation continued to grow and expand in various fields. While politicaland economic fields remain the arenas where the ties between China and Indonesia predominantly revolved, 2022 witnessed numerous developmentson the soft-power fields. These included China’s growing media influence and its public diplomacy towards the Muslim community aimed to augmentits positive image among Indonesians. Such efforts appeared to be a response to the fact that in recent years Indonesians’ view of China have not beenpositive. In 2022's survey, there was a decline in the public's positive feelings towards China decreased significantly compared to five years ago. This sentiment is rooted not only in the country’s long history of anti-Chinasentiment, which has been exacerbated by Chinese incursions in the South China Sea, but mainly its ill treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. As the previous two years, this book aims to understand the various dynamics in the relationship between China and Indonesia throughout 2022. It analyses crucial episodes in Beijing-Jakarta cooperation that took place in the past year and attempts to offer recommendations that can be taken by government actors, business actors, and other relevant stakeholders in order to ensure that the relationship are mutually beneficial for both countries.