China has emerged as a broadly positive partner for Indonesia in the public mind, according to a new survey, driven by visible economic engagement and investment on the ground, even as public support stops short of seeing Beijing as a full strategic partner.
The 2025 China–Indonesia Survey, released on December 18 by Jakarta-based think tank Centre of Economic and Law Studies (Celios), suggests Indonesians increasingly view ties with Beijing through a transactional lens, welcoming economic and technological cooperation while remaining cautious in other areas.
Overall, 66 per cent of the 1,022 respondents surveyed described relations between Jakarta and Beijing as positive, particularly in the areas of economic and technological cooperation.
President Prabowo Subianto was seen as “close” to Beijing by 94 per cent of respondents, a relationship they said could generate economic opportunities, strengthen Indonesia’s diplomacy and help balance US influence.
Mainland China was Indonesia’s third-largest foreign investor with US$5.4 billion in realised investment between January and September this year, behind Singapore’s US$12.6 billion and Hong Kong’s US$7.3 billion, according to the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board.
Most respondents, or 78 per cent, supported Prabowo’s plan to extend the China-funded Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway to Surabaya, citing transport modernisation, improved connectivity, and supporting economic growth as reasons behind their support.
