Ancient Chinese porcelain found in Indonesia testament to centuries-old bilateral ties

Porcelain plates and other artifacts from China's Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) found in Indonesia's Cirebon City are a testament to the centuries-old friendship between the two countries, as well as the historic trade links between Chinese traders and the then-Cirebon Sultanate supported by the Maritime Silk Road.

Located on the northern coast of Java Island, Cirebon is renowned for its rich cultural heritage and historical role in the Maritime Silk Road.

The city was recently welcomed as a new member of the City Alliance for the Protection and Joint Application of Maritime Silk Road World Heritage, the first city outside China to join the alliance.

At the Keraton Kasepuhan Complex, the Cirebon Sultanate's royal residence, the exterior and interior walls are decorated with Chinese porcelain tableware.

Locals believe the porcelain plates were brought in when a Chinese woman named Ong Tien Nio journeyed to Cirebon to marry Cirebon's first king Sunan Gunungjati around the year 1480.

"Princess Ong Tien Nio and her personal guards met Sunan Gunungjati there. Perhaps it was destiny by God for Sunan Gunungjati and Princess Ong Tien Nio to meet and finally get married in Luragung Village," said Pangeran Goemelar, a member of royalty of the Cirebon Sultanate.

Sunan Gunungjati, a renowned Muslim cleric, also commissioned a bright red pillar in the throne room as a symbol of friendship between China and the Cirebon Sultanate.

Clothing items worn by Ong Tien Nio, as well as other Chinese tableware artifacts were brought in from China on several sail boats and are now on display in the local museum.

"In tomb of Sunan Gunungjati, we can see an assortment of trade products from China, such as ceramics from different generations. From the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) - it's all here. The oldest is from the 16th century," said Mustakim Asteja, an art and culture lecturer from the Prima International Tourism Polytechnic.

The hundreds of years old water tanks used at the tomb of the Cirebon king and Ong Tien Nio also originate from China.

There are more than enough artifacts to prove that Cirebon indeed is a city of rich cultural heritage that was part of the Maritime Silk Road.

Ancient Chinese porcelain found in Indonesia testament to centuries-old bilateral ties

The United Arab Emirates' energy giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on Sunday it is accelerating its investment plans to award projects worth 200 billion dirhams (about 54.5 billion U.S. dollars) between 2026 and 2028 as part of its five-year capital program.

The announcement was made at the "Make it with ADNOC" forum, where the company said the move marks a new phase of expanded project execution across the energy value chain to help meet rising global demand.

ADNOC added that its future projects will help enhance the efficiency of the domestic industrial sector and boost in-country manufacturing through its "Local+" initiative, which prioritizes UAE-made products.

Established in 1971, ADNOC is fully owned by the Abu Dhabi government and ranks among the world's largest energy companies.

The announcement follows the UAE's imminent exit from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the wider OPEC+ alliance, effective Friday, which ended the country's nearly 60-year membership after repeated friction over production quotas.

The withdrawal, announced Tuesday by the UAE as a "sovereign, strategic choice" based on the country's long-term economic vision, is expected to free the UAE, which has an estimated output capacity of up to five million barrels per day by 2027, to adjust its production independently.

Analysts have estimated that with the UAE leaving, OPEC will lose about 15 percent of its total production capacity.

UAE's oil giant ADNOC speeds up 55-bln-USD investment drive