Yogyakarta (ANTARA) – Yogyakarta hosted the 2026 Indonesia-China Local Governments Dialogue, bringing regional officials together to expand cooperation in areas including investment, education, culture and technology.
“The forum brings together 70 Chinese delegates and leaders of several Indonesian regions. This shows the significance of the forum and its cooperation opportunities,” Yogyakarta Deputy Mayor Wawan Harmawan said Tuesday.
Yogyakarta aims to pursue concrete projects by involving the private sector through business-matching sessions and exploring a sister-city partnership with China’s Urumqi, he said.
“We are exploring sister-city cooperation with Urumqi, focusing on education, culture, tourism, creative industries and technology,” Harmawan added.
On education, Harmawan highlighted China’s scholarship offer for high-achieving Indonesian students.
“They have offered scholarships for 50 students every year,” he said.
Yang Wanming, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, said stronger regional cooperation could deepen ties between Indonesians and Chinese.
“Vitality lies in cooperation among local governments,” Yang said, adding that the dialogue was a concrete step toward turning existing bilateral agreements into practical regional programs.
“We are well positioned to serve as a bridge to deepen cooperation and mutual understanding,” Yang said.
The association hopes the forum will expand collaboration in investment and economic affairs, as well as culture, education, youth development and people-to-people exchanges, he said.
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Translator: H. Sidik, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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