REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Member of Nahdlatul Ulama Branch in China, Ahmad Syaifuddin Zuhri said that santri plays prominent role in the relationship between the Republic of Indonesia and China, especially in eliminating negative perceptions in society in both countries.

“Santri's role is very important in Indonesia-China connection, especially in dispelling negative perceptions that still exist in some Indonesian and Chinese communities,” Ahmad Syaifuddin said in a written statement to PCINU China in Jakarta.

Member of NU Organization in China and International Relations Study Program of UIN Jakarta held a national seminar titled “Santri Diplomacy in Recent Indonesia-China Relations” at UIN Jakarta on Tuesday (14/11).

At the seminar, Ahmad Syaifuddin also explained the Chinese PCINU's involvement in creating a better understanding for the two countries.

Nahdlatul Ulama branch in China established since 2017, strives to be a middle-ground organization interacting at the elite level as well as the direct society of both countries, he said.

“Of course challenges also lie ahead. The role and activity of Indonesian santri in China is also now starting to be a research material not only in Indonesia but also abroad,” he continued.

Meanwhile, one of the speakers of the seminar, the Head of LKBN Antara Bureau Beijing for 2017-2023, M. Irfan Ilmie, also shared his views on Indonesia-China relations from an economic, political, and cultural perspective.

“In the past, the role in diplomacy lay entirely with the country and the investors who had access. However, suddenly there was a queue. This role of santri in diplomacy creates a new dimension that changes the paradigm that interstate relations are not only limited to government and investor levels, but rather involve ordinary individuals in meaningful cultural exchanges and partnerships”, he said.

The national seminar was organized in a hybrid manner and attended by hundreds of participants from various circles of students, academics, Indonesian and Chinese businessmen, journalists and others in order to celebrate National Santri Day 2023.

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