Indonesia's Kadin Eyes China Partnership to Accelerate Agricultural Technology and Investment

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Indonesia) is deepening economic ties with China through a proposed strategic partnership with the Hubei Business Council, aiming to accelerate agricultural modernization via technology transfer, investment and expanded export access to the Chinese market.

The discussions, held in Jakarta on Wednesday, July 8, focused on strengthening Indonesia's food security strategy, downstream agricultural industries and the global competitiveness of its agribusiness sector.

Agriculture remains central to Indonesia's long-term food security agenda, but improving productivity requires greater investment and technological upgrading. A partnership with Hubei, one of China's major agricultural and manufacturing provinces, could help Indonesia modernize farming practices while opening new export opportunities for agricultural products.

The meeting was led by Devi Erna Rachmawati, Vice Chair for Agriculture at Kadin Indonesia, who also serves as Chairwoman of the NEXTANI Indonesia Association and President of the Indonesia Eurasia International Council (IEIC).

The Chinese delegation was headed by Shi Minghui, representing the Hubei Business Council, to explore long-term cooperation opportunities with Indonesia.

Both sides identified several priority areas, including agricultural trade, agribusiness investment, precision farming technology, food processing industries, agricultural research and innovation, and workforce development through training and knowledge exchange.

Five Strategic Programs

Kadin proposed five flagship initiatives to anchor future cooperation with Hubei.

The first focuses on improving rice productivity through precision agriculture technologies. The second aims to attract investment into biofertilizers, biostimulants and environmentally friendly crop protection products to support sustainable farming.

The third initiative seeks to develop downstream agricultural processing industries to capture greater value domestically. The fourth proposes establishing the Indonesia-Hubei Agricultural Innovation Center, which would serve as a hub for research, innovation and advanced agricultural technologies.

The fifth initiative aims to expand Indonesian agricultural exports into China by leveraging Hubei's extensive logistics and trade networks.

"Kadin Indonesia is committed to building international partnerships that deliver tangible benefits for farmers, businesses and the national agricultural industry. Cooperation with the Hubei Business Council is expected to open investment opportunities, facilitate technology transfer and expand market access for Indonesian agricultural products," Devi said during the meeting.

She added that international partnerships should extend beyond trade by strengthening technological capabilities, expanding downstream industries and improving farmers' welfare.

Shi welcomed the initiative and said Hubei is prepared to establish a long-term, mutually beneficial partnership with Indonesia.

"Hubei has strong capabilities in modern agricultural technology, food industries, logistics systems and international trade that can support the transformation of Indonesia's agricultural sector," Shi said.

From Dialogue to Investment

Both parties said they hope to move quickly from preliminary discussions toward concrete cooperation through joint programs, trade missions, business matching events, investment projects and collaborative agricultural research.

The initiative also reflects Kadin's broader effort to strengthen Indonesia-China economic relations at a time when investment in agriculture and food production has become increasingly important. By combining Indonesia's natural resource base with Hubei's technological expertise, the partnership aims to create a more productive, efficient and sustainable agricultural ecosystem while improving farmers' incomes.