New Heights of China-Indonesia Cooperation

Upon an invitation from President Joko Widodo of the Republic of Indonesia, Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, paid an official visit to Indonesia from May 6 to 8.Li’s choice of Indonesia as the first stop on his first overseas trip since the new cabinet took office in March demonstrated the particular importance the Chinese government has attached to maintaining good relations with the archipelago country in Southeast Asia.

Li Keqiang noted that since President Xi Jinping’s successful visit to Indonesia in 2013, the two countries have been actively integrating development strategies, with fruitful cooperation results yielded in various fields. This year coincides with the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “My visit this time aims to consolidate political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and enhance friendship between the two peoples,” he asserted. “Both sides are expected to make joint efforts to promote bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields to bring greater prosperity to the people of both countries.”

Throughout the short 40-odd hours of his stay in Indonesia,Premier Li attended more than a dozen diplomatic activities. Li and President Joko Widodo jointly planted the tree of China-Indonesia friendship before they held talks at the presidential palace in Bogor. Li also attended the Indonesia-Chinese Business Summit together with Indonesia’s Vice-President Jusuf Kalla. Leaders of the two countries reached consensus on enhancing bilateral relations,promoting the alignment of respective development strategies, and boosting pragmatic cooperation. Both sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

While fully recognizing the progress made over the past five years since the establishment of the China-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the two sides focused on how to further deepen the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and develop a stronger bilateral relationship in the new era. Both sides agreed to reinforce the three pillars of cooperation at bilateral, regional and international levels under the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

An old Chinese saying goes, “Good neighborly friendship is the common aspiration of the people.” China and Indonesia are friendly neighbors across the sea, and the two peoples have maintained communication for centuries. Along with increased exchange between the two countries, China-Indonesia cooperation is expected to scale new heights.