Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday that China believed that Indonesia will continue to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and foster a favorable environment for their investment and operation, rejecting allegations that some foreign investors have exploited or "robbed" Indonesia of its natural resources were aimed at China. 

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian made these comments on Tuesday in a press release in response to a media question regarding the visit of 28 Chinese companies to Indonesia last week as part of a Chinese business delegation, during which they met with the country's economic minister. A reporter asked that given recent remarks alleging that foreign investors are plundering Indonesia's natural resources, some believe Indonesia may becoming less welcoming toward Chinese investors, and whether the Foreign Ministry believes such engagement could help address these concerns.

Lin said that in recent years, under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two sides, China-Indonesia trade and investment cooperation has been extremely fruitful and benefited both sides. China and Indonesia, both major developing countries, are friendly neighbors and each other's important cooperation partners for development, with promising prospects of cooperation. The Indonesian side has expressed on multiple occasions readiness to deepen industrial and supply chain cooperation with China and welcomed Chinese companies to invest in the country.

"We believe that Indonesia will continue to protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and foster a favorable environment for their investment and operation there," Lin said.

Indonesia has recently sent repeated, clear signals welcoming Chinese investment. On July 18, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto in Shanghai. Airlangga said that China has remained Indonesia's largest trading partner and an important source of investment for many years. Indonesia highly appreciates the contributions made by Chinese enterprises to the building of Indonesia's industrial and supply chains and to its technological progress. "Indonesia will create a favorable business environment for enterprises from all countries, including China, to invest and operate," he said.

Indonesia's Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun called on Chinese companies to move beyond traditional sectors and invest in artificial intelligence, smart manufacturing, green energy and automation to strengthen future economic resilience. The comments were made at the Indonesia-China Partnership Forum in Jakarta, Indonesian media outlet Antara reported on July 23.

Chinese investment in Indonesia reached $38.34 billion from 2021 through the first half of 2026, creating more than 500,000 local jobs, Investment Ministry data shows, Antara reported.

Xu Liping, Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that some media outlets have exaggerated the challenges facing Chinese companies investing in Indonesia, even portraying normal economic and trade differences as a sign of changes in China-Indonesia relations. 

China and Indonesia are both major developing countries, and China is one of Indonesia's major investment partners. Communication and consultation channels between the two sides remain open, while Indonesia's recent policy adjustments are closely related to changes in its domestic economic policies and should not be interpreted as specifically targeting Chinese companies, Xu said.

Xu also noted that as more Chinese companies expand overseas, they need to further strengthen regulatory compliance and localization, while proactively understanding and observing local laws and policies. These efforts are essential for Chinese companies to achieve long-term, sustainable development in Indonesia.

Wang Peng, a research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that Indonesia has recently reiterated on multiple occasions that it welcomes Chinese investment and has held discussions with Chinese business delegations on industrial and supply chain cooperation as well as cooperation in high-tech sectors. This shows that the overall direction of mutually beneficial cooperation remains unchanged. China's clarification will help prevent misleading narratives from disrupting bilateral cooperation and strengthen Chinese companies' confidence in the continuity of Indonesia's policies and its business environment, he said.