<![CDATA[The implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA) in Indonesia on January, 1st 2010 has been causing pros and cons in public opinions. On one hand, the ACFTA has been considered as a huge opportunity for Indonesia to extend its market. But, on the other hand, ACFTA can put domestic producers to a disadvantage because their products are not yet ready to compete in the free trade area, especially against cheap products from China. However, decisions on ACFTA were taken and are now irreversible. Therefore, the debate on whether or not to support ACFTA should be ended, and instead we should focus on hard work to utilize this opportunity. In fact, Indonesia as a tropical country has many excellent commodities which are able to compete with China, if they were supported by the government. Nevertheless, to compete against China effectively, would require cooperation among civil society, local governments, and the centre government in order that Indonesia can take full benefit of its local autonomy.Keywords: Free Trade Area, Local Autonomy]]>
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