The launch of the 2025 China–Indonesia Provincial Index took place in Jakarta on 10 September 2025, highlighting how China’s presence in Indonesia has deepened and expanded beyond the capital into regional economies, societies, and institutions. Now in its second edition, this annual study systematically maps China’s subnational footprint from August 2024 to August 2025, revealing a growing provincialization of engagement. North Sumatra, Bali, and Java’s key provinces emerged as the strongest footholds, while Kalimantan, Maluku, and Papua remain on the periphery. The event featured insights from Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Director of China–Indonesia Desk at CELIOS, Dino R. Kusnadi, Senior Diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad, Associate Professor from the Department of International Relations at the University of Indonesia and Ika Ningtyas, Fact-Check Journalist from Tempo, who discussed the implications of these findings for Indonesia’s national and provincial strategies in navigating China’s layered geography of influence.