Indonesia-China Relations: The Belt and Road Initiative and Covid-19 Challenges

Authors

Kam-Hing Lee, New Era University CollegeFollow

Abstract

Relations between Indonesia and China are important not only to the two countries but also to the region. This is because China is the world’s second largest economy while Indonesia is the largest in Southeast Asia. In 2020, Indonesia’s economy formed one-third of the GDP of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Within ASEAN, Indonesia, which leads in terms of population and territorial size, has an influential voice. The nature of Indonesia-China relations, therefore, has implications on trade and security of the region. Relations between the two have not been easy, swinging from warm ties in the 1960s to a suspension of relations lasting almost thirty years until relations were restored in 1990. This paper looks at how the two countries are re-setting their relations particularly against the opportunities of the Belt and Road Initiative and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Recommended Citation

Lee, Kam-Hing (2021) "Indonesia-China Relations: The Belt and Road Initiative and Covid-19 Challenges," Malaysian Journal of Chinese Studies: Vol. 10: No. 2, Article 1.
Available at: https://mjcs.newera.edu.my/journal/vol10/iss2/1