RI to participate in China's initiative AI cooperation, WAICO

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia decided to participate in the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) with Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto departing for Shanghai to sign its declaration.

WAICO is an independent intergovernmental international organization headquartered in Shanghai and will be signed by 29 countries, including Indonesia.

"Indonesia's involvement as one of its first signatories emphasised our firm commitment to ensure Indonesia will be a principal actor, instead of a mere market, in the global digital economy," Minister Hartarto stated in his written remarks received here on Thursday.

The decision to join WAICO is a follow-up to the digital economic cooperation agreement signed in 2022 between Minister Hartarto and China's Trade Minister Wang Wentao.

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WAICO aims to promote international cooperation and global governance on AI, ensuring that AI is beneficial, safe and fair, thereby promoting its healthy and orderly development to benefit all humanity.

Hartarto expressed optimism the establishment of WAICO would help Indonesia develop its digital economy as a key driver of the nation's emerging economic growth.

Indonesia also expected that its participation in WAICO would boost investments in the high-technology industry sector to help Indonesia transform its economy, bolster its productivity, and create greater added value.

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Besides participating in WAICO establishment, Hartarto's visit to China on July 16-19 is aimed at strengthening strategic partnerships, securing investment commitments, and encouraging collaboration and technology transfer in AI, telecommunications, and robotics with Chinese partners.

He is expected to host business meetings and promote investments to Chinese tech giants, such as ByteDance, Unitree, Deep Robotics, and FiberHome.

"The meetings are expected to create concrete cooperation to expedite the development of a high-technology industry ecosystem, expand the transfer of knowledge and technology, and strengthen national industry competitiveness," Hartarto remarked.

China remains one of Indonesia's largest sources of foreign investment, with investment totaling US$7.5 billion in 2025. Combined with investment from Hong Kong, the figure reaches US$10.6 billion.

China is also the largest trade partner with Indonesia, whose main export commodities to China include mineral products, steel and metal, nickel, vegetable oil, and metal ores.

As China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) recorded US$167.36 billion in trade with Indonesia in 2025, Indonesia recorded a US$5.6 billion trade surplus with China in the January-June 2026 period.

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