On 26 March 2015, officials from China and Indonesia signed a protocol to the 2001 income tax treaty between the two countries. The protocol is the first to amend the treaty and clarifies that a resident of a Contracting State engaged in the operation of aircraft in international traffic in the other Contracting State will be exempt from value added tax (VAT) or similar taxes in the other Contracting State. The protocol will enter into force after the ratification instruments are exchanged, and will apply from 1 January of the year following its entry into force.