Jakarta, 4 Agustus 2023—Menjelang Pemilu 2024, CELIOS menyoroti interaksi tiga kandidat presiden dengan China. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Direktur Studi China-Indonesia CELIOS, menyatakan, “Dibandingkan Anies, Ganjar dan Prabowo memiliki interaksi yang lebih tinggi dengan China.” Prabowo sering bertemu petinggi China membahas kemitraan pertahanan, sedangkan Ganjar menandatangani berbagai kerja sama regional dengan China. Sementara itu, Anies lebih fokus membangun relasi dengan Amerika Serikat dan negara-negara Barat, termasuk kunjungan ke Eropa untuk proyek MRT dan smart city.

CELIOS menekankan perlunya evaluasi kerja sama dengan China. Yeta Purnama, peneliti CELIOS, menegaskan, “Setiap kandidat Capres 2024 perlu melihat secara jernih risiko model pinjaman China dalam proyek infrastruktur.” Pemerintah juga harus membuka ruang renegosiasi terhadap proyek yang membebani APBN dan keuangan BUMN.

Selain itu, CELIOS mengingatkan bahwa presiden terpilih harus tegas terhadap isu Laut China Selatan, hak asasi manusia di Xinjiang, serta memastikan proyek investasi China mendukung lingkungan, kesejahteraan pekerja lokal, dan hilirisasi yang meningkatkan nilai tambah. “Isu lingkungan, perlindungan terhadap kesejahteraan pekerja lokal di proyek yang didanai oleh investasi asal China, serta arah hilirisasi yang lebih selaras dengan peningkatan nilai tambah juga penting untuk dijadikan agenda utama,” tutup Yeta.

Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, CELIOS highlighted the interactions of the three presidential candidates with China. Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, Director of China-Indonesia Studies at CELIOS, stated, “Compared to Anies, Ganjar and Prabowo have much higher interactions with China.” Prabowo frequently meets Chinese officials to discuss defense partnerships, while Ganjar has signed various regional cooperation agreements with China. Meanwhile, Anies has focused more on building relations with the United States and European countries, including visits for MRT and smart city projects.

CELIOS emphasized the need to evaluate cooperation with China. Yeta Purnama, a CELIOS researcher, stressed, “Each 2024 presidential candidate needs to clearly understand the risks of Chinese loan models in infrastructure projects.” The government should also create space to renegotiate projects that burden the state budget and SOE finances.

Additionally, CELIOS urged that the next president take firm stances on the South China Sea dispute, human rights issues in Xinjiang, and ensure Chinese-funded projects support environmental protection, local worker welfare, and downstream industries that increase value addition. “Environmental issues, protection of local workers in projects funded by Chinese investment, and downstream development that aligns with value addition are also important agendas,” Yeta concluded.