The presentation of the President Commissioner of PT Bakrie & Brothers Tbk, entitled "Indonesia: A Live Case of Growth, Modernization, and Inclusivity," grabbed the attention of hundreds of Tsinghua University alumni and the People`s Bank of China School of Finance (PBCSF) who attended the forum.
"Many people are not aware that we have 300 ethnicities and 600 dialects," stated the boss of Visa Media Asia (VIVA), which oversees a number of media platforms in Indonesia.
In his presentation, Anindya featured images of "rendang," a popular dish which was announced by CNN as "World`s Most Delicious Food" in 2016; Raja Ampat Islands, a famous tourist attraction in Papua; as well as map of Indonesia, consisting of thousands of islands.
Citing from the McKinsey Global Institute data, he mentioned that Indonesia`s economic strength is currently ranked 16th. He expressed hope that it will be in the 7th position by 2030.
"Our GDP will also be ranked fourth in 2050, with US$7.3 trillion," he quoted the PricewaterhouseCooopers as saying.
The Indonesian delegation member in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Business Advisory Council (ABAC), mentioned four things related to Indonesia-China which must be considered.
First is the investment in goods, which requires latest technological goods. Second, China must be able to help educate the Indonesian people.
"Third, China must be able to ensure the clarity of its partners in Indonesia. It must be able to make sure the partnership is clear, because we know the conditions on the ground. We can send coal to them, but they cannot take the land and the concessions," he explained.
"The fourth is that the commodities or products must be environmentally friendly, meaning that they must not dredge away immediately," he added.
But he stated that China had considered all of the four aspects so far, and he appreciated them.
Bakrie believed that within the next 10 years, China would become the leader of the world economy.
China, interestingly, has a very different way of developing compared to the United States. It has sustainable leadership and innovative ways.
A sustainable leadership system, according to Bakrie, is needed by entrepreneurs to ensure the certainty of their business.
"It is just like a company. Companies that change CEOs are sometimes difficult to develop as the direction of their policies and leadership towards subordinates change. In China, (the leadership) is clear" he said.
Trade war
What is more interesting is the change in the global situation that has caused many of the world`s people to be fooled.
"Communist China actually adheres to a free market. The US, which is said to be a democratic-free market, practices protectionism," Bakrie said.
Even so, he saw Indonesia`s position as very strategic in the context of the US-China trade war.
"We need it and they also need it. If they are in a trade war with the US, they need another strategy that can mediate," he stated as a speaker at the forum.
He considered this trade war as totally unfavorable to the US and China.
"Apple alone has a market capitalization of US$1 trillion, down almost 20 percent, because China`s purchasing power has also dropped. Likewise, China has difficulty entering its goods into the US," Bakrie noted.
Reporting by M. Irfan Ilmie
Editing by Yashinta Difa
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2019
