Trade and cultural exchange between China and Indonesia can be traced back more than 2,000 years. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), friendly ties between the two countries have been well-documented across various realms.Through mutual exchange and mutual learning, Chinese and Indonesian civilizations both thrived and made sign ificant contributions to the prosperity of Asian civilization.

Today, as the two countries enter a critical stage of development with industrialization and modernization as goals, their respective development strategies—“Belt and Road Initiative” and“Global Maritime Fulcrum”—share many common properties that serve interests on both sides. Strategic alignment between the China-proposed 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Indonesia’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridors is set to expand pragmatic cooperation between the two countries.

China Report ASEAN journalists took a trip to Indonesia in the final month of 2018. The journalists were overwhelmed by the air of friendship and cooperation and common development shared between the two countries as demonstrated in China-Indonesia Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone, at the unmanned store JD.ID X-Mart, in the Museum of the Asian-African Conference and on the campus of the University of Al Azhar Indonesia.