Minister Luhut Pandjaitan Visits Jushi in China to Strengthen Indonesia-China Cooperation in Industrial Downstreaming

INTI- Tongxiang, China, In a bid to enhance Indonesia-China cooperation in industrial downstreaming, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves), Luhut B. Pandjaitan, visited Jushi in Tongxiang, China, on Tuesday (23/05/2023). Jushi is one of the world's largest manufacturers of fiberglass.

"Industrial downstreaming is a crucial factor that significantly influences Indonesia's current economic resilience and growth. In this regard, Jushi stands as one of the world's largest manufacturers of fiberglass used in various industrial products, including composites, insulation, and construction materials. Moreover, fiberglass is a strong and lightweight material with insulation and fire-resistant properties, making it a popular hi-tech base material for a wide range of industrial applications, from automotive to household and sports. Hence, I visited Jushi today," stated Minister Luhut.

Minister Luhut explained that Jushi, as one of China's multinational companies, has developed a global sales and service network spanning over 100 countries and regions. They have also established several production bases in the United States and Egypt to approach markets and provide the best services to their customers.

"The high global demand for fiberglass eventually urged me to request them to open a factory in Indonesia. Furthermore, Indonesia's relationship with China is excellent, and Indonesia possesses abundant silica sand as the main raw material for this industry. Therefore, their visit a year ago for conducting surveys and research on development can soon be realized," clarified Minister Luhut.

Consequently, Minister Luhut emphasized that the abundant silica sand in Indonesia would not only be mined and exported in raw form but would also generate tens of thousands of downstream industries, creating value-added to the processed commodities. This will support the spirit of industrial downstreaming and lead to improved welfare for Indonesian society and increased national revenue.

"We hope that this cooperation will yield positive impacts in transforming Indonesia into an industrialized nation. With approximately over 60,000 downstream industries, we anticipate satisfying outcomes from this collaboration," concluded Minister Luhut. ***.Hans