TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan held a meeting with a number of investors and potential investors from China on Thursday, January 10. In the meeting, Luhut discussed the development of a business industrial estate in Morowali or Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park.

Luhut invited Chinese investors to participate in the development of Morowali's industrial zone into a special economic zone. The minister said the government will help facilitate the investment, under the condition that foreign companies will collaborate with local partners.

"Of course, the cooperation must benefit both parties," he said in a written statement, Friday, January 11.

The dinner meeting was also attended by Inalum president director Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Aparel Clothing Group CEO Maniwanen—representing the private sector, and reform activist Hariman Siregar.

During the dinner, Luhut said that the government wants to bring the upstream industry closer to the downstream, in a bid to reduce imports.

Luhut also said that collaborations with local partners are not limited to the industry sector. The minister said that Tsinghua University from Beijing had expressed interest in establishing a research center in Morowali. The development of this research center will involve local universities.

Dias Prasongko