Irawan Ronodipuro, director of Foreign Relations of Gerindra Central Committee, listens to a working staff member at the Global Times' photo exhibition in Jakarta on October 19, 2026. Photo: Zhang Han/GT

Frame after frame of images witness the hand-in-hand pursuit of shared development; scene after scene of light and shadow freeze the warmth of heart-to-heart bonds; moment after moment demonstrates the responsibility of walking the same broad path together. 

On October 19, the photo exhibition "Linked by Mountains and Rivers, Sharing a Common Destiny - China-Indonesia Friendship Deeply Rooted in People's Hearts" and the Indonesia stop of Global Times' "Overseas China Week" were held in Jakarta. People from all walks of life from both countries attending the 2026 "Global South Dialogue: China-Indonesia Roundtable Forum" organized spontaneously by the Global Times stopped to view the exhibition, looking back on precious memories of friendly cooperation between the two countries.

This exhibition selected 18 photographs, divided into three chapters: "Co-building for win-win outcomes," "Aligning people's hearts" and "Walking a shared journey." Through these images, audiences can truly see the fruitful results brought by the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative by China and Indonesia and the promotion of common development, and they can also feel the deep mutual affinity between the peoples of the two countries.

"Overseas China Week" is an important brand event of the Global Times for presenting Chinese philosophies and Chinese thought, showcasing China's development achievements and telling stories of international cooperation. It has previously been held in many countries, including South Africa, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Kazakhstan.

Three Indonesian visitors look at the photos at the Global Times' photo exhibition in Jakarta on October 19, 2026. Photo: Zhang Han/GT

Practical cooperation promotes common development

Calvin Khoe, executive secretary of Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, an independent foreign policy organization based in Jakarta, stopped in front of the photo themed on the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. A native of Bandung, he personally witnessed the changes the high-speed railway has brought to local people's lives. In his view, the completion of the high-speed railway was "a pivotal moment" in the two countries' joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, making the two cities of Jakarta and Bandung "more internationalized." 

According to media reports, in the three years since the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway was officially put into operation, a total of 58,666 train trips have been operated, carrying more than 18 million passenger trips.

Warmth of heart-to-heart bonds

A photo of Indonesian students stepping onto the Chinese campus deeply moved Irawan Ronodipuro, director of Foreign Relations of Gerindra Central Committee. In his view, educational exchange is an important component of bilateral relations. 

"Indonesia has to fortify our education system, and everybody should learn the way China has learned. We have to apply those learning to the growth of Indonesia," said Ronodipuro. He believes that diplomacy is not only the government's responsibility, but also something students can practice to strengthen relationships between the two nations.

Currently, more than 15,000 Indonesian students are studying in China. Excellent teaching quality and good employment prospects are the keys to the growing appeal of "going to China to study."

Efa Yonnedi, rector of Andalas University, told the Global Times that educational exchanges with China do good for the Indonesian economy as well as for the younger generation, and his university has been working together with Chinese universities to have double-degree programs and exchanges. 

"We are looking for more fruitful collaboration," Yonnedi said.

A photo of the Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe's special performance in Jakarta in September 2025 left a deep impression on Christine Susanna TJHIN, director of Strategic Communication and Research, Gentala Institute, a business agency and management consulting firm based in Indonesia. 

"Traditional Chinese opera plays an important role in China-Indonesia cultural exchanges," she said, noting that opera continues to attract younger generations through modernized and innovative expression. She looks forward to the two countries advancing joint creation, integrating their respective cultural elements, and creating cross-boundary regional cultural and creative works.

Two Indonesian visitors pose for a photo, holding panda dolls, at the Global Times' photo exhibition in Jakarta on October 19, 2026. Photo: Yu Jincui/GT

Facing challenges together

In the third chapter, a photo of a Chinese company participating in rescue operations during severe rainstorms and flooding in North Sumatra, Indonesia, plunged Heru Andriyanto, executive editor of the Jakarta Globe, into deep thought. In the image, rescue workers carefully hold a rescued local little girl in their arms, and the child looks calm. "This is a photo full of warmth," said Andriyanto.

At the end of 2025, many areas of Sumatra Island experienced sustained heavy rainfall that triggered severe floods and landslides, causing more than 1,000 deaths and forcing nearly 1 million people to relocate. After the disaster, a number of Chinese enterprises in Indonesia responded quickly, proactively coordinating with local governments, engaging in debris cleanup and road repair work, launching internal donation drives, and organizing teams to rush to the disaster areas overnight to join rescue and relief efforts and material support.

Shobichatul Aminah, head of the Center for Strategic and Global Studies, Graduate School of Sustainable Development, the University of Indonesia, shared his sentiments.
"The value of Chinese enterprises in Indonesia is reflected not only in investment and infrastructure construction, but also in their humanitarian responsibility to lend a helping hand in times of crisis," she told the Global Times.

People's hearts nourish lasting friendship. In recent years, China and Indonesia have strengthened exchanges in disaster prevention, poverty reduction, environmental protection and other fields, allowing the fruits of cooperation to continuously translate into well-being that ordinary people can feel. This friendship that spans mountains and seas constantly strengthens the public foundation for promoting the building of a China-Indonesia community with a shared future.

An Indonesian visitor takes a picture at the photos at the Global Times' photo exhibition in Jakarta on October 19, 2026. Photo: Wang Wenwen/GT

Shobichatul Aminah, head of the Center for Strategic and Global Studies, Graduate School of Sustainable Development, the University of Indonesia, looks at the photos at the Global Times' photo exhibition in Jakarta on October 19, 2026. Photo: Yu Jincui/GT