China and Indonesia have agreed to explore deeper cooperation in defence and security, including possible collaboration in missile and rocket technology.
The discussions took place during the inaugural meeting of the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic dialogue mechanism, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono described the talks as an important milestone in bilateral relations, saying the mechanism would guide cooperation in political, economic, maritime, people-to-people and security affairs.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for greater strategic communication and coordination between Beijing and Jakarta, describing both countries as important representatives of the Global South.
Wang later joined Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun in talks with Indonesian officials on political, security and defence cooperation, as well as regional and international developments.
Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the two countries would cooperate in missiles and rockets, with China expected to provide technology to support the establishment of joint manufacturing facilities in Indonesia.
The defence ministers also discussed another military exercise under the Heping Garuda framework, which focuses on humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and military cooperation.
The talks come as Indonesia maintains a “free and active” foreign policy while balancing relations with China and the United States. Jakarta and Beijing recently held a joint naval exercise near Taiwan, drawing criticism from Taipei.
Despite the growing defence engagement with China, Indonesian analysts said the country’s security ties with Western and other Asian partners remained significantly stronger, cautioning against viewing the talks as a shift towards Beijing.
