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On the 14th, Indonesian President Prabowo delivered the state of the nation address in parliament, proposing to strengthen foreign language education, including Chinese, starting from the first grade of elementary school.
According to China News Service, in this annual state of the nation address, closely watched for indications of the Indonesian government's policy direction, Prabowo emphasized that Indonesian children should begin learning foreign languages, including English, Chinese, and Arabic, from the first grade of elementary school. He stated that it is easier for children to acquire foreign languages from a young age, and having foreign language skills will also help young people enter the international job market in the future.
Prabowo also linked learning Chinese to China's economic development. He said that China possesses a dynamic economy, and Indonesian youth should enhance their abilities by mastering foreign languages and other skills.
Due to historical and political circumstances, Chinese language education in Indonesia was suspended for more than 30 years. In recent years, as China-Indonesia cooperation in economic, trade, cultural, and scientific fields has continued to deepen, bilateral exchanges in studying abroad, tourism, and business have become increasingly frequent, and interest in learning Chinese has been consistently rising.
According to statistics, by 2025, the number of Indonesian candidates taking the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK) has already exceeded 30,000, ranking fifth in the world; at present, more than 17,000 Indonesian students are studying in China. Although Chinese has not yet been included as a compulsory subject in primary schools nationwide in Indonesia, about 30 higher education institutions in Indonesia currently offer majors in Chinese.