He said many Chinese businesspeople had worried about the situation in Jakarta following the “Defend Islam” rallies, in particular on Nov. 4 and Dec. 12.

Media reports showed that among some rally participants negative sentiment against Chinese Indonesians was palpable.

“During a business meeting initiated by the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing in cooperation with the China Top 500 Foreign Trade Enterprises Club last week, several Chinese businesspeople raised concerns and questioned if the government could guarantee [a safe business environment],” Soegeng said as quoted by Antara news agency in his office in Beijing.

He said his office had given a detailed description about the situation in Indonesia, in particular in Jakarta, at every opportunity.

“This is not easy. The Indonesian government has to show its commitment to minimizing political risks to attract foreign investment, including from China,” Soegeng said.

The 130 visiting businesspeople are from 68 companies in Zheijiang province that operate in construction, electricity, infrastructure, textiles, chemicals, husbandry, machinery, and tourism.

After the 130 businesspeople, 30 would come from Guangdong, Fujian, and Jiangsu, on Dec. 8 to 11 to coincide with the ASEAN-China Business Council in Jakarta. They include investors in cosmetics and chemical industries.

Government data showed that realized investment from China in the first half of the year reached US$1.01 billion, comprising 519 projects. (evi)

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