Indonesia and China discuss increasing defense cooperation and energy security

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Top ministers for Indonesia and China discussed increasing defense cooperation and strengthening food and energy security between their countries at their meetings Friday in Jakarta.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said they aimed to ensure a new bilateral dialogue delivered progress toward their priorities for strengthening cooperation: political, economic, security, maritime and people-to-people relations.

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Indonesia and China also agreed to better coordinate on their major priorities of development and security, so as to provide strong safeguards for the modernization of both countries.

“We will jointly oppose unilateral bullying and power politics. We must also remain vigilant against attempts in the region to challenge the outcomes of victory in World War II and turn back the wheel of history. We should safeguard international fairness and justice, as well as the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries,” Wang said in their joint statement.

Sugiono said they discussed strengthening food, energy and mineral security through the development of industries that support national resilience, which in the future will encompass areas such as artificial intelligence, the joint development of communications satellites and other advanced technology initiatives.

“We also agreed to facilitate trade, including market exploration and the expansion of market access for Indonesia’s flagship commodities,” Sugiono, who uses one name, said in the joint statement.

Wang said their new bilateral dialogue will “send a clear signal to the world of solidarity and cooperation between our two major emerging-market countries.”

The countries' defense ministers, Indonesia's Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and China’s Dong Jun, met separately and discussed more defense cooperation including material cooperation, strengthening personnel, and the two countries' defense industries.

“We also invite the Chinese armed forces to participate in joint exercises, such as the Heping Garuda exercise, which is a concrete example of the relationship between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the Chinese armed forces,” Sjamsoeddin said.

Indonesia’s economic ties with China have flourished in recent years, reaching about $167 billion in 2025.

China became Indonesia’s largest trading partner and plowed billions into major infrastructure projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway and Cirata, Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar power project, on a reservoir in West Java, 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the capital, Jakarta.

Disagreements have emerged over the pricing and timing for the projects, but China has been determined to follow through on them in keeping with President Xi Jinping’s signature “Belt and Road” initiative to build infrastructure throughout the region.

Associated Press video producer Olivia Zhang in Beijing contributed to this report.