China Development Observer Publishes a Lengthy Article Reporting on the Construction and Development of the China–Indonesia Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone

On August 20, China Development Observer published a lengthy article titled “Special Report on the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China: Guangxi State Farms—Deep Cultivation and Pursuit along the Belt and Road,” which provides a detailed account of how Guangxi State Farms have actively participated in the national Belt and Road Initiative and established platforms for overseas economic and trade cooperation zones.

This article takes the China–Indonesia Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone (hereinafter referred to as the China–Indonesia Cooperation Zone) as a quintessential example of Chinese enterprises “going global” and as a model for overseas economic and trade cooperation zones. From the perspective of Chinese enterprises’ participation in the Belt and Road Initiative and their broader “going global” strategy, the article provides a detailed review of the zone’s development journey, its achievements, the lessons learned, and its prospects for the future.

The China–India Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone is the first overseas economic and trade cooperation zone approved by the Chinese government for development in Indonesia, and one of the 19 such zones globally that were approved by the Ministry of Commerce in 2007. To date, a total of 11 have passed the verification and assessment conducted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance, with the China–India Cooperation Zone among them. The China–India Cooperation Zone is also one of the 20 overseas economic and trade cooperation zones worldwide that have been officially verified and assessed by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Finance.

The article points out that overseas economic and trade cooperation zones serve as crucial platforms for the country’s Belt and Road Initiative and as vital vehicles for advancing international industrial capacity cooperation. As a pioneer in the development of such zones in Guangxi and across China, the China–India Cooperation Zone has enabled Guangxi Agricultural Reclamation to take this zone as a key leverage point, enabling it to deepen its engagement and exploration along the Belt and Road route. Through dynamic, multifaceted, and highly effective initiatives, Guangxi Agricultural Reclamation has achieved tangible results and established a benchmark for best practices.

As of August this year, the China–India Cooperation Zone has attracted more than 50 domestic and foreign enterprises, with total investment in projects within the zone amounting to approximately US$1 billion. Among these, 21 are Chinese-funded firms, including well-known companies such as China XD Electric Group and Mengniu Dairy, thereby effectively fulfilling the national objective of establishing a platform for Chinese enterprises to invest and operate overseas. In addition, the zone has also drawn a number of renowned European and American firms as well as global industry leaders, including France’s Schlumberger (the world’s largest oilfield services provider and a Fortune Global 500 company), New Zealand’s Fonterra (the world’s largest dairy exporter), and Finland’s Valmet (a globally recognized manufacturer of paper-making machinery and equipment).

According to available information, China Development Observer is a comprehensive, think-tank–oriented bimonthly magazine supervised by the Development Research Center of the State Council, serving as a vital support and dissemination platform for the development of China’s high-end think tanks. To mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and to summarize the country’s 70-year development journey and invaluable experience, with the approval of the Development Research Center of the State Council, the magazine launched the special feature “The Road to Prosperity and Strength—A Commemorative Report on the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the PRC” from June to October 2019. Using the thirteen Five-Year Plans as a temporal framework, the feature systematically reviews and synthesizes the developmental trajectory and key highlights of the past seven decades across different regions and sectors, while also conducting in-depth research and analysis on ten representative enterprises, ten exemplary cities, and ten model villages.

The China–India Cooperation Zone, constructed by Guangxi Agricultural Reclamation Group, is one of the ten exemplary enterprises featured in this series of reports. Prior to the publication of the report, in early August, a research team of four from the editorial office of China Development Observer, led by Wang Yanqing, Vice President of the National Research Think Tank Group at the Development Research Center of the State Council, conducted in-depth field investigations and interviews at the China–India Cooperation Zone and its resident enterprises, ultimately producing this extensive feature article. (Zhu Dejin)

Wang Yanqing (center) and her delegation conduct an inspection and research visit to enterprises in the park.