[Preview of the Weekly] China Town on an Indonesian Island: Can It Replicate the Shenzhen Miracle? (AI Translation)
Listen to the full version
- Chinese enterprises have significantly invested in Indonesia's new energy industry, with China being the second-largest foreign investor in Indonesia in 2022. The Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) on Sulawesi Island, a joint venture between China's Tsingshan Holding Group and Indonesia's Bintangdelapan Group, has become a hub for nickel processing and stainless steel production.
- The rapid industrial development has transformed local communities, providing job opportunities and boosting local economies but also leading to social and environmental challenges. Issues such as waste management, cultural clashes, and the displacement of indigenous people have arisen alongside economic growth.
- Chinese companies are adapting to Indonesian culture and regulations while contributing to community development through ESG initiatives. They are also focusing on technology transfer and building relationships with local authorities and communities to ensure sustainable operations.
摄影、撰稿｜财新周刊 张芮雪（发自印度尼西亚）
Photography and Reporting by Caixin Weekly's Zhang Ruixue (from Indonesia)
“光明，你还在烧垃圾啊？”中国国务院总理李强在会见温州企业家项光明时脱口而问。这是9月初第43届东盟峰会期间，在印尼首都雅加达举行的一场招待晚宴上，诸多在印尼投资发展的中国企业家翘首以待自己的国家领导人。
"Guangming, are you still burning trash?" Chinese Premier Li Qiang blurted out upon meeting Wenzhou entrepreneur Xiang Guangming. This exchange took place in early September at a reception dinner held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, during the 43rd ASEAN Summit, where numerous Chinese entrepreneurs investing in Indonesia eagerly anticipated interaction with their national leader.
看到总理多年未见还记得自己，伟明环保董事长项光明十分激动。他早年的确在老家浙江从事垃圾焚烧发电，后来频繁登上“胡润”“福布斯”等富豪榜单。但自“出海”到印尼后，项光明干起了和垃圾焚烧有些工艺共通性的电池材料加工，联手同族兄弟项光达进军新能源行业——项光达创办的青山实业早在2008年就进入印尼淘“镍”，后来打下了“世界镍王”的江湖地位。
Weiming Environmental Protection's Chairman, Xiang Guangming, was thrilled to find that the Premier still remembered him after many years. Indeed, in his early years, he was involved in waste incineration power generation in his hometown of Zhejiang and later frequently appeared on rich lists such as Hurun Report and Forbes. However, since "going overseas" to Indonesia, Xiang Guangming has switched to processing battery materials—a field somewhat related to waste incineration technology—and joined forces with his clansman brother Xiang Guangda to venture into the new energy industry. Xiang Guangda's company, Tsingshan Holding Group, entered Indonesia as early as 2008 to mine nickel and subsequently established a reputation as the "Nickel King of the World."
在李强此次接见的民营企业家中，有一半以上在印尼从事新能源相关产业。据印尼投资部统计，2022年，中国企业对印尼直接投资达82.3亿美元，同比增长160%，位列印尼第二大外资来源国。
During Li Qiang's meeting, more than half of the private entrepreneurs present were involved in the new energy industry in Indonesia. According to Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board, in 2022, direct investment from Chinese companies in Indonesia reached $8.23 billion, a 160% increase from the previous year, making China the second-largest source of foreign investment in Indonesia.
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新