From those shared experiences, both believed that a partnership could be born, not from power, but from purpose, not from dominance, but from respect. It was 75 years ago, on April 13, 1950, that Indonesia and China forged diplomatic relations.

Decades on, the once-young nations have found their footing and now walk tall on the world stage. China stands as the world's second-largest economy, while Indonesia is Southeast Asia's largest economy. Both countries contribute close to 30 percent of global GDP and represent over 20 percent of the world’s population.

For over a decade, China has been Indonesia’s largest trading partner and among our top-three sources of foreign direct investment. In 2024, trade between our two countries reached a new high of US$147.78 billion, a 6.1 percent increase from the previous year, while Chinese investment in Indonesia grew by 9.4 percent, reaching $8.1 billion.

The strength of the relations has been consistently reflected in both historical moments and recent high-level exchanges.

In 1955, at the Asian-African Conference in Bandung, West Java, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai came as a brother, with a message of peace and friendship, seeking common ground among Asian and African nations.

Fast forward to 2024, this spirit is reaffirmed. President Prabowo Subianto visited China twice, first in April following his election, and again in November for his first state visit as president. From the Chinese side, Vice President Han Zheng attended the inauguration of President Prabowo in October 2024.

Looking out to the future, within the next 20 years, many forecast China will be the largest economy and Indonesia the fourth. Together, we are a force that will help shape the world.

Indonesia and China often speak in the same spirit on many issues like global peace, the right to development, self-determination and multilateralism.

We carry that spirit into the places where decisions are made, and more importantly in our hearts, where we still believe that these issues are not too much to ask for.

And I deeply hope that until the day comes when every child is born free, and no people must beg for the right to exist, including the people of Palestine, we will stand together and keep walking side by side.

Seventy-five years is a long road for any two nations to walk together. And just like any journey, we have seen our share of ups and downs. But the essence lies in the respect we uphold, the cooperation we nurture and the strategic direction toward which we continue to strive.

Two days before I wrote this piece, I was in Dali, a beautiful and ancient lakeside city in Yunnan. I came to explore how we might deepen people-to-people cooperation between Indonesia and China.

A local guide shared a tale. Once, two neighboring villages thrived along the lake. One village was known for its silver carp. The other for its golden trout. Both villages traded fish for generations, creating a balance as natural as the lake itself.

Then came a new chief in one village, full of pride, he said, “Why should we give away our carp? Let us build walls and keep our wealth inside.”

He imposed new rules that no carp would cross the lake. All fishing nets from other villages would be taxed. In retaliation, another village did the same. Soon, the lake became a bitterly contested borderlands, choked with rotting nets and fish left to spoil.

Then came a monk. Quiet, calm, he placed a single carp and a single trout in a bowl on a small wooden raft and set it drifting.

When people asked what he was doing, he said, “I am teaching the lake how to remember peace.”

That night, the villagers on both sides heard a strange sound. It was the raft drifting, gently tapping the stones. When they came out, they saw the bowl glowing under moonlight.

Then a flood came, not one of destruction, but one of life. The lake overflowed with fish, silver and gold together. The villagers wept.

The monk said “coexistence is like a lake. If held back by walls and suspicion, it grows bitter. But if allowed to flow with understanding, it brings life to all its shores, so long as we believe that no one is less human than us.’

My time in China taught me that China is not just a country, it is a civilization, a deep one, with centuries of thought, of philosophy, of lived experience behind every policy and every decision.

In these turbulent times, Indonesia and China can be like the fish in the glowing bowl that teaches the lake how to remember peace.

We need more successful, exemplary cooperation that inspires and empowers across borders.

And we must unlock alternative and creative financing models that make development possible and sustainable, for all.

We can, and must, invest in one another. Not only with capital or surplus, but with trust, with ideas and with shared vision.

In this regard, Indonesia and China have agreed to enhance the synergy between Golden Indonesia 2045 and China’s modernization.

We must now work hand in hand to showcase the tangible success of this synergy, demonstrating how China’s development dividend can generate ripples of progress, not only within China, but across the region, by driving greater industrial integration, modernization and innovation.

I am particularly keen to explore how China is leveraging its leadership in AI and big data to upgrade its manufacturing and government capabilities.

I have also taken note of China’s swift progress in semiconductor and chip technology. With the scale and momentum of its industrial ecosystem, it is poised to play a more prominent role in shaping the global supply chain.

As the world moves toward a future defined by precision engineering, robotics and intelligent systems, such breakthroughs will become increasingly central to industrial transformation.

These are breakthroughs that hold valuable lessons for many developing countries, including Indonesia, as we pursue our own path of inclusive and technology-driven development.

Happy 75th anniversary to a friendship forged by history, carried by hope and nurtured through decades of trust.

May our next chapter be written with even deeper understanding, and may this moment remind us that true friendship is not measured in years alone, but in our shared commitment to respect and cooperation, especially when the road is uncertain. Let us go forth, the best is yet to come.

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The writer is the ambassador of Indonesia to China and Mongolia.