The Communist Party of China (CPC) used its 105th anniversary to advance party-to-party diplomacy with Indonesia’s major political forces, an initiative that, viewed from Jakarta, signals a deliberate effort to anchor bilateral relations in institutional ties beyond government-to-government channels. At a reception at the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta on 15 July, Ambassador Wang Lutong confirmed that the CPC had received congratulatory letters from the chairmen of Gerindra, PDI-P, Nasdem, Golkar, and PKB. The outreach carries a concrete diplomatic consequence: it opens structured dialogue on what Beijing terms “issues of common concern,” including governance models, poverty alleviation, and social management, according to the ambassador’s remarks.

According to Indonesian party officials, the engagement is framed as a contribution to national diplomacy. Luluk Nur Hamidah, PKB’s head of foreign cooperation, stated that inter-party ties play a strategic role in building mutual understanding and trust amid complex geopolitical dynamics. From the Indonesian perspective, the letters—including one from President Prabowo Subianto praising China’s poverty-eradication record and another from PDI-P chair Megawati Soekarnoputri highlighting the CPC’s role in China’s transformation—reflect a cross-party consensus that China’s development trajectory offers relevant lessons for Indonesia’s own “Golden Indonesia 2045” vision. Ambassador Wang, for his part, described the alignment of the two countries’ modernisation agendas as a major asset for strengthening the partnership.

This diplomatic choreography unfolded against a starkly different development within the CPC itself. On 14 July, Chinese state media announced the expulsion of Ma Xingrui, a former Politburo member and ex-party secretary of Xinjiang, following a Central Commission for Discipline Inspection probe. The investigation, concluded in late June, accused Ma of corruption, abuse of power for personal gain—including in project contracting and personnel appointments—and “betraying the party’s principles.” Analysts in Beijing note that Ma is the third Politburo member removed since 2022 under the anti-corruption campaign personally associated with General Secretary Xi Jinping, reducing the body’s active membership from 24 to 21. The juxtaposition of the anniversary celebrations with the publicised purge illustrates what party statements describe as the CPC’s dual emphasis on external engagement and internal “self-revolution.”

Viewed from a regional perspective, the Jakarta reception forms part of a broader CPC effort to project its governance model as a reference point for developing nations while managing internal discipline. Ambassador Wang reiterated that China would not pursue a “hegemonic path” and pointed to initiatives such as the Global Development Initiative and the Belt and Road Initiative as frameworks for cooperation. The dossier now moves to implementation: the CPC has invited Indonesian political partners to deepen exchanges on party-building and governance, with follow-up dialogues expected in the coming months. No specific dates have been announced.