Eighteen carefully curated frames now line a gallery space in Jakarta, capturing everything from high-speed rail lines slicing through West Java to rescue workers cradling children in flood-ravaged Sumatra. Global Times reported that the photo exhibition titled “Linked by Mountains and Rivers, Sharing a Common Destiny — China-Indonesia Friendship Deeply Rooted in People’s Hearts” opened on October 19, 2026, marking the Indonesia stop of the outlet’s “Overseas China Week” brand event.
The exhibition coincides with the 2026 “Global South Dialogue: China-Indonesia Roundtable Forum,” drawing people from all walks of life from both countries to examine bilateral cooperation. Divided into three distinct chapters—”Co-building for win-win outcomes,” “Aligning people’s hearts,” and “Walking a shared journey”—the display offers a visual accounting of infrastructure projects, educational pipelines, and humanitarian responses shared by the two nations.
Infrastructure Realities along the Jakarta-Bandung Line
Among the exhibits, images documenting the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway drew extended commentary from visiting policymakers and analysts. Calvin Khoe, executive secretary of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia, paused to reflect on the transit corridor he has watched transform his native Bandung. He characterized the completion of the high-speed railway as a turning point in bilateral infrastructure development.
Operating data shows the scale of that physical connection. In the three years since the high-speed railway officially commenced operations, the system has run 58,666 train trips, carrying a cumulative total of more than 18 million passenger trips.
Education strengthens diplomatic resilience between Indonesia and China
Beyond concrete and steel, the exhibition highlights institutional ties. Irawan Ronodipuro, director of Foreign Relations of the Gerindra Central Committee, stopped to examine a photograph depicting Indonesian students arriving on a Chinese university campus. He pointed to educational development as a vital anchor for future diplomatic resilience.
“Indonesia has to fortify our education system, and everybody should learn the way China has learned. We have to apply those learning to the growth of Indonesia,” Ronodipuro said.
Current figures place more than 15,000 Indonesian students enrolled in institutions across China. Efa Yonnedi, rector of Andalas University, noted that his institution maintains active double-degree programs and student exchanges with Chinese universities to expand professional opportunities for the younger generation.
Cultural programming also retains a prominent place in bilateral relations. Christine Susanna TJHIN, director of Strategic Communication and Research at the Gentala Institute, recalled a special September 2025 performance in Jakarta by the Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe. She emphasized that traditional arts continue to adapt through modernized expressions, paving the way for future cross-boundary creative partnerships.
Humanitarian Aid amid Sumatra’s Floods
The exhibition’s third chapter shifts toward crisis response, centering on a photograph of a Chinese enterprise participating in emergency operations during severe rainstorms in North Sumatra. Heru Andriyanto, executive editor of the Jakarta Globe, noted the emotional resonance of the image, which depicts rescue workers holding a calm young girl.
The photograph records the aftermath of late 2025 weather events, when sustained heavy rainfall triggered floods and landslides across Sumatra Island, resulting in more than 1,000 deaths and nearly 1 million relocations. Local chapters of Chinese enterprises mobilized overnight, coordinating with municipal governments on debris cleanup, road repairs, and material support drives.
Shobichatul Aminah, head of the Center for Strategic and Global Studies at the University of Indonesia’s Graduate School of Sustainable Development, observed that corporate value in bilateral relations extends well past balance sheets. She noted that humanitarian responsibility during regional emergencies forms a necessary component of the countries’ shared future.
