BY ALDI SINTONG HALOMOAN
Deputy Chairperson for Foreign Affairs, Persatuan Wartawan Indonesia (PWI), Indonesia
China is one of the countries that have fascinated me the most. Although I have only visited it once—and only for a single day while transiting from Pyongyang to Jakarta in 2017—it has remained one of the countries I have always wanted to know better. As one of the world’s major powers, China continues to attract global attention, and I would never miss the opportunity to visit it again.
My impressions of China have been shaped not by firsthand experience, but by books, academic journals, news reports, documentaries, podcasts, and discussions on social media. Through these sources, I have come to see a country that has undergone an extraordinary transformation over the past few decades and emerged as one of the world’s leading powers.
The first thing that makes me admire China is its commitment to education. To me, education is not merely a path to earning a degree; it is the foundation of national development.
Even more impressive is the quality of its education system. Many Chinese universities are now ranked among the world’s best and have become destinations for international students. In a podcast hosted by a well-known Indonesian scholar, I learned that China has around 3,000 universities serving between 40 and 50 million students, while Southeast Asia has approximately 10,000 higher education institutions but only about 25 million students. The speaker also noted that several Chinese universities are ranked among the world’s top 20, whereas Southeast Asia has only two, both located in Singapore.
Although different sources present different figures, one message remains clear to me: China takes the development of high-quality education very seriously. I believe that a nation’s success is determined not simply by the number of its educational institutions, but by its ability to cultivate academic excellence, encourage research and innovation, and strengthen its global competitiveness.
My second impression is China’s remarkable technological progress. Within a relatively short period, the country has become one of the world’s leading centers of innovation. Its achievements in artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, high-speed rail, digital payments, and space exploration demonstrate that technological advancement is not a matter of luck. Rather, it is the result of long-term vision, sustained investment in research and development, and consistent policy implementation.
I am also interested in learning more about China’s political system. As an Indonesian who lives in an electoral democracy, I understand that every country has its own history, culture, and system of governance.
What particularly interests me is the emphasis placed on merit-based selection and performance evaluation in the development of bureaucratic and political leadership. In a podcast I watched some time ago, Professor Zhang Weiwei, Director of the China Institute at Fudan University, explained that while democratic countries are primarily known for elections, China emphasizes both selection and election, with selection coming first. Performance at different levels of government serves as the primary basis for career advancement. He also pointed out that many of China’s top leaders had previously served multiple terms as provincial leaders, governing populations of more than 100 million people before assuming national leadership. President Xi Jinping is often cited as one of the most prominent examples.
Despite the differences between political systems, I believe that policy effectiveness, administrative capability, and tangible development outcomes are important aspects of understanding governance in China.
Another aspect that I deeply admire is the competitive spirit of the Chinese people. Their determination to keep learning, work hard, and continuously innovate appears to be deeply rooted in a culture that has evolved over centuries. Respect for education, discipline, and a strong work ethic has not hindered modernization; instead, they seem to have become powerful drivers of progress. To me, this is one of China’s most valuable lessons: technological advancement can go hand in hand with the preservation of cultural identity.
In the context of global governance, I see China as one of the key actors in shaping an increasingly multipolar world. Through infrastructure development, economic cooperation, trade, investment, and participation in international forums, China has demonstrated that global influence is built not only on economic strength but also on the ability to create partnerships and contribute to solutions for shared challenges.
China’s growing engagement in multilateral institutions, development cooperation, energy transition, climate action, and cross-border infrastructure projects reflects its ambition to play a greater role in addressing global issues. Despite the debates surrounding some of its initiatives, China’s presence in global affairs has become impossible to ignore.
As an Indonesian, I believe that every nation follows its own path of development. Nevertheless, China’s experience offers valuable lessons, particularly on the importance of long-term vision, investment in education, respect for knowledge, technological advancement, and consistency in implementing public policies.
I hope to visit China again—not only to understand the country through books and media, but also through firsthand experience and meaningful interaction with its people.
I believe that the first impressions I have formed over the years will eventually grow into a deeper understanding of how one of the world’s oldest civilizations has become one of the driving forces behind modern global development.
*The views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the individual authors and do not reflect the position of the Secretariat of the Belt and Road Journalist Network.