Forum Bisnis Indonesia-China, di Beijing, RRT, 10 November 2024
Remarks of President Prabowo Subianto at Indonesia-China Business Forum, in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, November 10, 2024
His Excellency Mr. Gao Yunlong, Vice Chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and also Chairperson of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. Thank you for your presence and we are very honored to have you today.
The Chairman of the Indonesia-China Committee of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mr. Garibaldi Thohir;
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs and all the Ministers and Deputy Ministers of the Indonesian Cabinet;
Distinguished guests, Ambassador of Indonesia in Beijing, and the Ambassador of China to Indonesia;
Distinguished guests, investors, businessmen, entrepreneurs from China and Indonesia;
Good afternoon.
Thank you very much for this invitation. I would like to express my appreciation for KIKT, the Indonesia-China Committee of the Indonesian Kadin for today’s important event. This is a great honor for me. I don’t think I will use this written prepared address because I think it’s more natural, more faster that I will speak from my heart and not from this note.
As I expressed many times, China is not only a great world power, but China is a great civilization. And we in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, we feel that we want to be continuously working together in collaboration and in synergy with the rise of China back to its great position in the world. We feel that we want to be part of this emergence as a very strong, not only economic but also civilization of power.
Therefore, the strong participation of Chinese entrepreneurs in Indonesia, I think, is a very important element in the close collaboration between our two countries and our two economies. I have had a good meeting with your President and your Government. We’re committed to continue this path of collaboration, path of synergy in all fields: field of education, field of business, field of industry, people to people cooperation.
And we are very optimistic, we are very bullish about the prospects. And we consider that this close collaboration between Indonesia and China will be a factor to stabilize and to increase the regional atmosphere of cooperation. We must give an example that in this modern age, collaboration, not confrontation, is the way for peace and prosperity.
Indonesia is very clear. We have always been non-aligned, we have always been respectful of all great powers in the world. In my own career, I have learned a lot from the teachings of ancient Chinese philosophers. One of my strong guiding principle is “one thousand friends too few, one enemy too many”. Yīqiān gè péngyǒu tài shǎo, yīgè dírén tài duō”.
I hope my pronunciation is correct. If not, you must forgive me because I’m the President of the Republic of Indonesia.
I think that’s enough. So many statistics, you know. But anyway, today is very strategic because the agreement signed today is US$10 billion worth, I think this is very strategic. And, we welcome more investment and we will work very hard to provide a good atmosphere, good facilities, and a good welcoming for our brothers and sisters from China. If you see and you notice the Indonesian entrepreneurs and leaders, I think most of them have a lot of Chinese DNA, maybe including myself, I think.
Once again, let us work together forward. Only cooperation, that’s my belief, only cooperation, only collaboration can bring understanding. Only understanding can bring peace. Only peace can bring prosperity. Let us work for collaboration, let us work for understanding, let us work for peace, let us work for prosperity for all the peoples; your people, my people, and the people all over Asia and the world.
Thank you very much.