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View all search resultsCelebrating 75 years of Indonesia–China Relations: The way forward
Creativity is required on how best Indonesia and China can move together to elevate the ties, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the regional security architecture.
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President Prabowo Subianto (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Nov. 9, 2024. (Reuters/Florence Lo)
T
he relations between Indonesia and China are millennia-old, dating back to ancient times. However, diplomatic relations were only established in 1950, shortly after Indonesia gained independence from Dutch colonial rule.
The establishment of these diplomatic relations was heavily overshadowed by the Cold War era, which practically divided the world into two opposing ideological camps, East versus West. This tension led to Indonesia’s decision to freeze diplomatic ties from 1967 to 1990, following the 1965 botched coup d’état. Since then, our bilateral ties have been put to the test of time.
From a historical perspective, however, this two-decades' gap was only a blink of an eye, especially considering the current amazing growth of our relationship.
It is important to note that even during difficult times, Indonesia did not depart from its commitment to the “One China Policy,” affirming China’s sovereignty over Taiwan. Indonesia continues to uphold this policy because it is strongly anchored in the 10 principles of the 1955 Bandung Declaration, in the drafting of which China played an important role.
Indonesia's firmness in upholding this policy should not be seen as a mere diplomatic gimmick, but as a measuring tool to gauge the importance Indonesia attaches to its ties with China. Indonesia will never change its fundamental principles for the sake of short-term convenience, unlike a few countries in the past.
Immediately after the Cold War era faded, the leaders of both countries earnestly worked to develop the diplomatic relations, bringing them to the high level we are now satisfyingly enjoying.
This recalls a speech delivered by President Xi Jinping, in which he pledged to work together with all leaders near and afar toward a better future for Asia and the world. This underlined China’s commitment to multilateralism, a spirit that has recently been eroded globally.
