The last few days I have been visiting few piano shops, not shopping for pianos but re-visiting shops to check out on their pianos. I spoke to few dealers about products coming from China and also asked about how are they compared to the Indonesia pianos?
One of them gave me this answer, how true?

The Indonesian people are very skillful with their hands, artistic. They have been producing very good teak furniture and wood carvings over the decades and been successfully sold them in Europe and America being quality furniture. In addition, they are well known for their batik and other fine handicrafts. This was the reason why some Japanese (non-Korean dealer) setup their factory in Indonesia because they know that local people are fine craftsmen, which is said to be one of the contributing factors in producing a world class instruments. Do you think the Korean thought of that too?

Please note I am not saying Indonesia is poor or Chinese is better or vice versa. Just want to know what you think. Is it really true or is it because of cost and logistic that they have factories outside its country of origin?

I've been to Samick's factory in Indonesia and spent a week in Indonesia. What you were told is by and large true. Also, although the trend has certainly reversed over the past few years, the government of China hindered foreign piano companies while the Indonesian government was eager for outside investment.

Both countries are capable of, and often do, produce some decent pianos. Indonesia seemed to produce the quality we needed faster than China, but some Chinese makers do quite well these days. I'd rate the best each country produces to be fairly even and a good value for the money.

The Samick factory in Indonesia has been established since about 1996. The Yamaha factory in Indonesia has been there since 1974. Kawai's factory in Indonesia has been there since 2001. This substantial lead time has given Indonesian built instruments a big advantage in quality and consistancy over many of the very new Chinese factories.

tq. the kawai pianos from Indonesia can i know which models are being produce there? and since they now have a factory in Indonesia, do you think they will halt the production in China by Xinghai considering i) it is not really the best of chinese factory & ii) the long history about piano building in indonesia. regards.

I actually don't know much about pianos from either country technically but if the above statement is the criteria, they really need to look at traditional Chinese art and craftsmanship too. Chinese artisans have been producing unbelievably high quality objects for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

I'm just saying that quote may not be best indicator of who makes the highest quality pianos.

I had a practical tranning at Yamaha Factory in Indonesia. I was impressed by the quality control. Inside the factory, it was like in Japan, everything was controlled to the highest quality. Any defect parts will be destroyed daily at about 2 pm. The Japanese management ensured the Indonesians workers work as if they were in Japan. Again, I was so impressed.

However, I do not know about Kawai factory there.

I'm from Indonesia
I can said that most of pianos that produce in Indonesia has very good quality and it export to American or another country, and only small type that sell in Indonesia, because Indonesian people has import minded, so most of them don't wanna buy a piano that made in Indonesia