(Jakarta) Foshan Municipal Bureau of Commerce Director Ye Minjian, Section Chief Li Jia and Xiao Haoming, Deputy Section Chief Jiang Li, Foshan Chamber of Import and Export Executive President and Secretary General Cai Weisheng led a delegation of enterprises to visit Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association at 10:30 am on May 13, 2025 (Tuesday). They were welcomed by Chairman Zhang Jinxiong, Vice Chairman Chen Xin, Secretary General Zhou Weiliang, Supervisory Committee Member Chen Boyan, Vice Chairman Lin Songshi, Yang Qingshun, Li Kaiguo, Deputy Secretary General Yang Xinsheng, Chen Yongzhi, Consultant Kuang Yaozhang, Executive Director of the Youth Department Yao Hanbin, etc.
Zhang Jinxiong, Chairman of Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association, said: Indonesia, as the largest economy in Southeast Asia and the only G20 member in ASEAN, has always maintained a steady development trend in recent years.
He said: In 2024, Indonesia's GDP will be about 1.4 trillion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 5.03%. In the first quarter of this year, affected by global trade fluctuations, Indonesia's GDP growth rate was 4.87%, lower than in previous years, but the economic resilience is still strong. In the first quarter, household consumption still contributed the most to Indonesia's GDP, accounting for about 54.53%, far exceeding investment and exports.
Zhang Jinxiong said: In recent years, the Indonesian government has continuously optimized foreign investment policies, introduced preferential policies such as the "Comprehensive Employment Law" and the "New Investment List", significantly relaxed restrictions on foreign investment access, and provided incentives such as tax exemptions and land concessions.
Chairman Zhang Jinxiong said: The current trade frictions and tariff barriers have increased the uncertainty of the global economy. More and more companies are seeking overseas layouts to reduce their dependence on a single market. As the world's fourth most populous country, Indonesia has a population of 280 million, with a working-age population of about 70%, and the labor cost is only one-third of that of China. In addition, with the increasingly improved infrastructure such as industrial parks, the operating costs of enterprises are significantly advantageous.
He said that as a "resource-rich country", Indonesia is the world's largest exporter of coal and palm oil. Nickel reserves rank first in the world, and gold, silver, copper, iron, tin and other mineral reserves are also among the best in the world. In addition, Indonesia is also very rich in natural resources such as forests, marine fisheries, tropical fruits, coffee, etc., and the prospects for cooperation are broad.
Zhang Jinxiong said: Over the years, we are also very happy to see that more and more Chinese companies have chosen Indonesia as their Southeast Asian headquarters, taking advantage of its locational advantages and radiation capabilities to expand the ASEAN and Asia-Pacific markets. Last year, the total bilateral trade between the two countries reached 147.8 billion US dollars. Mainland China invested 8.1 billion US dollars in Indonesia, and Hong Kong invested 8.2 billion US dollars. China has been one of Indonesia's largest trading partners and the most important sources of investment for 12 consecutive years.
Zhang Jinxiong pointed out: Foshan is a major manufacturing center in China with strong economic strength. It is world-renowned for its home appliances, furniture, ceramics, textiles and other products, and has strong industrial complementarity with Indonesia. Indonesia's rich natural resources, huge domestic demand market, and rising manufacturing industry also provide Foshan's enterprises with broad development space. Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association will continue to leverage the platform advantages of the chamber of commerce to provide necessary support and assistance for everyone's cooperation.
In his speech, Director Ye Minjian not only introduced the economic growth of Foshan City, China, but also explained that the Foshan Municipal Bureau of Commerce and enterprises are visiting Indonesia to seek business opportunities and partners to create opportunities together.
