The seminar attempted to discuss issues such as the suspicions about China’s agenda to dominate Indonesia through its participation in Indonesia’s infrastructure projects, and in collaboration with the ethnic Chinese big businessmen and politicians, especially among those who resent the Indonesian government’s close relations with China – Click on to learn more about the seminar.
Indonesia Studies Programme
Dragon or Panda: The Indonesian Elites’ Perception of China and Sino-Indonesia Relations
Dr Deasy Simanjuntak, ISEAS Visiting Fellow, introducing speaker, Dr Johanes Herlijanto, to the audience (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Wednesday, 27 July 2016 – Dr Johanes Herlijanto, an anthropologist and Visiting Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, discussed the contemporary Indonesian elites’ perception of China and Sino-Indonesian Relations. In this seminar he elaborates on the multi-layered perceptions that are influenced by the rise of China and the assumption of China’s growing influence in Indonesia’s economy.
Dr Herlijanto sharing his insights that the groups disappointed with Jokowi’s administration tend to have a non-positive perception of China (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Dr Herlijanto found that various groups disappointed with Joko Widodo’s administration tend to have a negative perception of China, whereas those individuals who support the President retain a positive view of China, albeit to a certain extent, and an optimistic view of Sino-Indonesian Relations.
Dr Simanjuntak opening up the floor for discussion during the Q&A segment (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Interestingly, there seems to be a congruence between the elites’ perception of China and their perception of Chinese-Indonesians. The elite group which has a negative perception of China tend to also exaggerate the assumption of collaboration between China and Chinese-Indonesians to dominate Indonesia’s economy.
Participants at the seminar (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
This seminar was held in the afternoon and was attended by close to 30 participants.