RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – A Jakarta correspondent of the China Media Group (CMG), Tao Jiale, said a form of complementarity of interests exists between the Indonesian and Chinese audience. He views Indonesia's public interest in China as focused on infrastructure development capabilities, technological advancement, and digital economy innovation, reflecting "Indonesia's practical needs at its current stage of development".

"Meanwhile, Chinese public interest in Indonesia is more evident in its rich tourism resources, diverse culture, and growth potential as an emerging market," he said in a VOI Talk interview on RRI Voice of Indonesia in mid-April 2026.

According to Tao, it is critical to translate this structural complementarity into a narrative understandable to the public. In that process, he praised Indonesian media for basing their reports on reality and emphasizing harmony, making Indonesia-related coverage easier for the Chinese audience to understand.

"On one hand, it adheres to reporting based on Indonesia's own development realities. On the other hand, its value orientation reflects an emphasis on values such as social stability and community harmony," he said.

Tao said media cooperation has become a crucial pillar in promoting bilateral ties between the two nations. He said it has played a positive role in fostering people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding.

"On a more concrete level, media cooperation not only influences perception, but it is also gradually impacting people's behavioural choices," Tao said.

Tao Jiale added that media in Indonesia and China have made progress, but there is still room for improvement. Among the efforts that can be made are strengthening joint coverage and content production and improving cross-cultural understanding among media personnel.

"We can (also) adapt to the development trend of digital media, adopting formats more accessible to audiences, such as short videos and personal stories, to improve the dissemination and acceptance of content," he conveyed.

Tao believes the media's role in future Indonesia-China relations will primarily be "a bridge and an interpreter". According to him, they should continue to provide objective information and use individual stories to give tangible experiences, while at the same time paying attention to the communication habits of younger generations.

"From a broader perspective, this process essentially implements the Chinese president's (Xi Jinping) concept of people-to-people connectivity and the open development emphasized by successive Indonesian governments, while also aligning with Indonesia president's emphasis on national capacity building," Tao said.

"This shared goal is to build a stable and sustainable bilateral relationship through continuous exchange and understanding," he said.

Watch the full talk on the VOI Talk: "Media Strengthening Indonesia-China Relations", on YouTube channel VoI Official.