Eddy Soeparno (C), the deputy speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of Indonesia, experiences a BYD EV model during a tour to the company’s headquarters in Pingshan District on April 16. Photo by Lin Jianping

Eddy Soeparno, the deputy speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly of Indonesia, lauded Shenzhen as a “technological marvel” during a two-day visit that started April 16.

His admiration for Shenzhen’s rapid development and innovation was evident as he made his first stop at the headquarters of BYD in Pingshan District. At BYD, a global leader in electric vehicle (EV) technology, Soeparno experienced BYD’s latest EV models, expressing a strong interest in the cutting-edge technology.

He highlighted the city’s advancements in EV and information communication technologies as key pulls, noting, “It attracts us to understand Shenzhen even better — the idea is for us to catch up on the technology side.”

Soeparno also underscored the growing technological investments in Indonesia, attributing this trend to the country’s vast market and abundant opportunities. This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Indonesia.  

Reflecting on Shenzhen’s EV industry, Soeparno stated, “It’s quite amazing, if not mind-blowing, simply because the advancement, especially on the technology front, is very far ahead of other countries.”

Discussing potential areas for enhanced cooperation between Indonesia and Shenzhen, Soeparno pointed to renewable energy. “Indonesia is undergoing an energy transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy,” he explained. 

Highlighting the importance of electricity and the development of Indonesia’s battery energy storage system, he noted, “I think BYD, as a battery provider and producer, is in a good position to help Indonesia understand the transfer of technologies. I think in that field we can cooperate even better.”

Looking ahead, Soeparno expressed anticipation for the upcoming opening of the BYD factory in Indonesia before year’s end. “I look forward to additional investments from other Chinese EV producers,” he concluded.

The plant, located in an industrial park in Subang, West Java, will have a production capacity of 150,000 EVs per year. It will be BYD’s fifth e-car factory outside China after those in Thailand, Uzbekistan, Brazil, and Hungary.