"The Indonesian people should not worry about the alleged influx of millions of Chinese workers. China`s government supports Indonesia`s efforts to deport Chinese tourists who misuse their visas on arrival by working in the country," Wiranto noted.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto quoted Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xie Feng as saying that China has complied with the Indonesian laws regarding foreign workers.

"Hence, the Indonesian people should not worry about the alleged influx of millions of Chinese workers. Chinas government supports Indonesias efforts to deport Chinese tourists who misuse their visas on arrival by working in the country," Wiranto noted here on Wednesday evening.

The senior minister remarked that the Chinese ambassador had denied rumors on the influx of millions of illegal Chinese workers into the country.

"The government does not allow foreign workers to come to Indonesia without an appointment," he claimed.

Based on data at the Labor Ministry, some 21,000 foreign workers from China hold temporary stay licenses in Indonesia.

"They are not manual workers but are skilled workers," the minister remarked.

Foreign workers help to initially prepare and set up the project and also transfer knowledge and technology to the domestic workforce.

He affirmed that the government continued to monitor the movement of foreigners entering Indonesia in an attempt to anticipate an influx of illegal labor, terrorists, and drug smugglers.

Head of the Capital Investment Coordination Board Thomas Lembong had earlier stated that the percentage of Chinese workers in Indonesia was small as compared to Chinas investment in the country during the January-September 2016 period.

Lembong remarked in a press statement here on Thursday that only 3,718 Chinese workers were absorbed in Chinese projects during the January-September 2016 period, or about 0.3 percent of the total workers employed in the same period, which stood at 975,898.

The total number of workers comprised 17,966 foreign expatriates and 957,932 Indonesia workers.

"This is deplorable (the rumors that Indonesia is flooded by some 10 to 20 million Chinese workers). During the National Christmas day celebration function, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) urged all sides to stop spreading rumors regarding the alleged influx of foreign workers," Lembong stated.

President Jokowi had recently denied the allegation that the number of Chinese migrant workers in Indonesia now runs into tens of millions.

"Many have said that the number of Chinese migrant workers in Indonesia is about 10 million, if not 20 million. When did they actually reach that figure? According to our calculation, the number is 21,000. That is very small," he stated while addressing the declaration of the national apprenticeship movement at the Karawang International Industrial Estate in West Java on Friday (Dec 23).

He also expressed hope that the people would not be swayed by a misleading issue, as it may lead to a controversy in the country.

There is a small possibility that Chinese nationals work in Indonesia due to the large disparity in the salary structure of both nations, he added.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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