He believes the meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in Busan on Thursday (October 30) provided new clarity on the direction of tariff policy in the Asia-Pacific region.
"Indonesia is open to investment from strategic partners in the region. APEC is considered important because President Trump and President Xi Jinping had just met. For Indonesia, the tariff corridor has become clearer," he stated on the sidelines of the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju City, South Korea, on Friday.
He expressed hope that the face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi—their first in six years—would help ease the trade tensions that have recently intensified.
Hartarto also highlighted several trade tariff agreements concluded among APEC member economies, including Malaysia, Cambodia, and South Korea.
“Korea itself has agreed to 15 percent, and we must reach that level,” he emphasized.
Hartarto said he had also met with South Korea’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Energy, whom President Trump had described as one of his toughest negotiating partners.
According to him, the meeting aimed to strengthen economic cooperation and ensure Indonesia remains competitive amid evolving trade dynamics following the U.S.–China summit.
Xi reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the foundation of China–U.S. relations and creating a conducive environment for shared development. According to Xi, Trump expressed strong enthusiasm for resolving key regional issues.
“China has also pushed for peaceful negotiations to resolve major issues. The world is currently facing many serious challenges,” Xi remarked.
The meeting was part of President Xi’s visit to South Korea to attend the 32nd APEC Summit.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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