China Helps Indonesia Become ASEAN's Largest Automotive Battery Production Center
In June 2025, Indonesia's and even ASEAN's largest integrated electric vehicle battery production and sales chain project was officially launched. President Prabowo attended the groundbreaking ceremony, emphasizing that it is a result of China-Indonesia cooperation. The project involves Chinese company CATL and several other Chinese enterprises, with a total investment of 5.9 billion USD. Production bases are located in Karawang, West Java, East Halmahera, and North Maluku. The project will drive the development of 18 infrastructure projects, including multi-purpose port construction. Experts believe China is helping Indonesia become the largest new energy vehicle battery production center in ASEAN. This project helps Indonesia transform from a "raw material subsidiary" to a "developed industrial country", increasing the added value of raw materials such as nickel, in line with President Prabowo's continued industrial policy. Despite disputes between Indonesia and China in the South China Sea and US attempts to drive a wedge, China remains Indonesia's largest economic and trade partner. The battery cooperation project consolidates bilateral friendly relations and has significant implications for global political stability. Due to EU restrictions on importing Chinese electric vehicles, China is accelerating its strategy shift towards the Asia-Africa market. GAC Group has set up an electric vehicle assembly plant in West Java (second factory in Southeast Asia); BYD's assembly plant in West Java is expected to start production by the end of 2025. The new industrial cluster will support the development of China's new energy vehicles in Asia.
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Chery Battery Tested in Jakarta Seawater Immersion for Nearly 54 Hours Without Anomalies
Chery Tiggo 8 CSH car battery underwent seawater immersion testing at PIK 2 Beach in Jakarta, with the battery actually immersed for 53 hours and 51 minutes, exceeding the planned 48 hours. After immersion, the battery was reinstalled in the vehicle and operated normally; technician inspections showed no significant impact. The test aims to verify the durability and safety of the battery system. Previously, this battery had completed extreme challenges in China including spiral rollover, two-vehicle collision, and seven-vehicle stacking pressure test (over 48 hours). The corrosiveness and conductivity of seawater far exceed ordinary rainwater, easily accelerating metal corrosion and insulation degradation. Traditional
Chinese Enterprises Participate in Building Indonesia Gas Turbine Power Plant Project
The 4×18 MW gas turbine power station EPC project, constructed by PowerChina and supporting PT.KOLAKA NICKEL INDONESIA (KNI) nickel-cobalt hydroxide facility in the Pomala Industrial Park of Huayou Cobalt Indonesia, officially commenced. This is PowerChina's first gas turbine project supporting nickel-cobalt hydroxide in Indonesia. The project team made full preparations, and on-site construction personnel, machinery, generators, tools, and measuring instruments passed strict inspections by the supervisor and owner, obtaining approval to start. The project team carried out advanced planning, meticulous organization, and efficient promotion of all preparatory work, laying the foundation for project implementation.
Chinese Enterprises Participate in Landfill Gas Development Project in Riau Province, Indonesia
China Water Industry Group and Pekanbaru City Government signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly advance the comprehensive utilization project of landfill gas at the local TPA Muara Fajar landfill, aiming to convert landfill gas into clean energy. Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau Province on Sumatra Island, has a population of about 1.2 million. Accelerated urbanization has led to a surge in household waste, with the landfill processing 1,000 tons of waste daily. The current landfill model faces environmental and sustainability challenges. Leveraging its advanced technology and extensive experience in environmental protection and new energy, the Water Industry Group adopts landfill gas collection, purification, and utilization technologies to achieve waste resource recovery and sustainable energy supply.
Chinese Companies Launch Indonesia's First Soda Ash Project in East Kalimantan
The 300,000-ton/year soda ash project of PT Pupuk Kaltim (PKT) in Indonesia, contracted by China Chemical Tianchen Company, has officially commenced. This is Indonesia's first soda ash project and a national key project, also marking the first application of China's Hou's soda ash process (combined alkali method) in Indonesia. The project is located in Bontang, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, with a capacity of 300,000 tons/year. In response to multiple strategic plans of the Indonesian government, the project adopts an internationally advanced combined alkali process, which not only increases compound fertilizer production through the by-product ammonium chloride to promote food self-sufficiency, but also uses carbon dioxide as a raw material to
Sino-Indonesian Cooperation to Build New Steel Plant with Annual Capacity of 3 Million Tons
PT Krakatau Steel and its group, together with PT Dexin Steel Indonesia (a subsidiary of China's Delong Steel Group, the world's 11th and China's 7th largest steel producer), are cooperating to build a new steel plant in the Krakatau Industrial Area in Cilegon, Banten Province, covering an area of over 500 hectares. The goal is to build an integrated steel plant with an annual capacity of 3 million tons, producing high-quality steel and exploring green steel development. In May 2025, a Krakatau Steel delegation visited China and signed a raw material procurement memorandum of understanding with Delong Steel, witnessed by the Chairman of the Delong Group. On June 3, a delegation from Delong and Dexin visited the Cilegon plant site to conduct an on-site assessment of the proposed plant location and existing supporting facilities (such as ports and steel plants). On June 5, the two sides held further discussions in Jakarta, clarifying that the focus of cooperation is on steel plant construction. This cooperation will help Krakatau Steel advance its vision of turning Cilegon into a green steel hub in Southeast Asia, by providing land through PT Krakatau Sarana Infrastruktur, promoting technology transfer and eco-friendly steel R&D. It is also expected to create thousands of local jobs, strengthen the industrial supply chain, support national strategic projects, generate economic multiplier effects, and drive regional economic development. Delong recognizes Cilegon's strategic position as an industrial base with mature infrastructure and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of investment feasibility.
BAIC Officially Begins Local Vehicle Assembly in Indonesia
Beijing Automotive BAIC Indonesia, through HIM's factory in Purwakarta, West Java, launched the locally assembled BJ40 Plus model, which was previously imported fully from China. The launch was led by PT JIO, marking the official start of the brand's local assembly operations. To ensure assembly processes meet standards, the brand sent 7 technicians from PT JDI and PT HIM to BAIC's off-road dedicated factory in Beijing, China for two weeks of study and process analysis. Meanwhile, BAIC International dispatched 6 technical experts (including 2 quality control experts) to the Indonesian factory
GAC Aion Indonesia Factory Officially Begins Production
China's automobile brand GAC Aion, in cooperation with local Indonesian dealer Indomobil Group, has officially commenced production on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at its first local assembly factory in Purwakarta, West Java. The initial plan is to produce 20,000 vehicles per year, with plans to increase annual production capacity to 50,000 vehicles in the coming years. The factory adopts the "Lighthouse Factory" concept, applying intelligent and environmentally friendly manufacturing systems, equipped with the latest technology and integrated production systems. It will also use advanced manufacturing systems already deployed in Chinese factories, capable of assembling various models from sedans to multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs).