Indonesia, China expand defence ties and launch broad new bilateral dialogue

Indonesia and China held high-level talks in Jakarta on defence, trade, technology and security. The meetings signalled a wider strategic push to align development priorities and deepen bilateral cooperation.Image used for representational purposes onlyIndonesia and China discussed expanding defence cooperation and strengthening food and energy security during meetings between top ministers in Jakarta on Friday. The talks also focused on boosting broader bilateral ties through a new dialogue covering political, economic, security, maritime and people-to-people relations.Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said the two sides wanted the new bilateral dialogue to deliver progress on their shared priorities. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said both countries had also agreed to improve coordination on their major development and security priorities to provide strong support for the modernisation of both nations.In a joint statement, Wang said: "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." He added that the new bilateral dialogue would "send a clear signal to the world of solidarity and cooperation between our two major emerging-market countries".Sugiono said the ministers discussed strengthening food, energy and mineral security through the development of industries that support national resilience. He said this would in future include 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," he said in the joint statement. Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun also held separate talks on stronger defence cooperation, including material cooperation, personnel strengthening and the two countries’ defence industries. Sjamsoeddin said: "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."Economic ties between Indonesia and China have grown in recent years, reaching about USD 167 billion in 2025. China has become Indonesia’s largest trading partner and has invested billions in 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. While disagreements have emerged over pricing and project timelines, China has continued with the projects under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative. Overall, Friday’s meetings centred on deepening cooperation in security, trade, technology and major development projects between the two countries. With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 21, 2026 13:50 IST