In early April, 36 arts teachers from various provinces in Indonesia were invited for education and cultural communication training at the China Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing. During the three-week course, these teachers were taught various aspects of Chinese culture, including opera, traditional music, and calligraphy. A few months earlier, in January, the first China-Indonesia Cultural Forum was also established between the Chinese consulate in Bali, Peking University, and Universitas Udayana. The forum is aimed at strengthening China’s cultural ties with Indonesia.
These two recent events epitomize China’s growing cultural footholds in Indonesia. Such endeavors have only intensified since the inception of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2013, even though they still remain limited.
