South Sulawesi Province Regional Secretary Jufri Rahman stated after receiving an official visit from the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia, led by Chinese Counselor to Indonesia Zhen Wangda, that the South Sulawesi Provincial Government plans to strengthen economic synergy with the Chinese government to spur investment realization and expand export market access in Eastern Indonesia.

Jufri stated that the meeting strongly signaled the increasing penetration of Chinese capital in South Sulawesi. Trade relations between the two parties have shown a significant trend. China's investment in South Sulawesi has been projected to reach Rp 748 billion in 2025 according to South Sulawesi Provincial Government data. Its export contribution is the second largest, accounting for 33.69 percent or US$693.88 million of the province's total export value.

Therefore, Jufri emphasized that strengthening South Sulawesi's cooperation with China has strategic value for driving local economic growth. He proposed several priority sectors, including agriculture, fisheries, mining, and manufacturing sectors.

"The South Sulawesi Provincial Government is encouraging increased investment oriented towards downstreaming natural resources and creating regional jobs," said Jufri in Makassar City, South Sulawesi on Apr. 22, 2026.

Counselor Zhen acknowledged South Sulawesi's position as a strategic economic and cultural hub in Indonesia, particularly in Eastern Indonesia. He highlighted the potential of the food and mining industries, which have attracted the interest of many investors from his country.

"We hope this meeting can enhance mutual understanding, strengthen regional cooperation between China and Indonesia, including the integration of leading industries, and strengthen people-to-people ties," explained Zhen.

The Chinese Embassy is also eyeing the tourism sector as a new development area, given South Sulawesi's wealth of cultural and natural resources. This step is seen as a strategic effort by both parties to expand international networks to increase regional economic competitiveness at the global level through the integration of upstream and downstream industries.