Indonesia and China eye further infrastructure cooperation

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-03-29

Li Keqiang, right, meets Joko Widodo at the Great Hall of the People
in Beijing, March 27. (Photo/Xinhua)

China and Indonesia pledged more infrastructure construction and investment cooperation during a meeting between Premier Li Keqiang of China and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia on Friday.

The Chinese government will encourage more reputable companies to invest in Indonesia and participate in the construction of high-speed railway, metro rail and port industrial parks, Li said.

He called on the two countries to conduct production capacity cooperation, through which China will help Indonesia turn its abundant resources into the material for industrialization development, and to increase two-way trade and investment.

Joko echoed Li, saying Indonesia hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in areas including energy, maritime industry, agriculture, aviation and tourism.

He welcomed Chinese investment and voiced support for the establishment of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), saying he hoped the AIIB could contribute to the region's economic development.

Indonesia officially joined the China-proposed AIIB in November 2014, making it a founding member.

With regards to China-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) relations, Li hailed the positive role played by Indonesia in promoting the sound development of ties.

Li said China was ready to work with ASEAN to maintain the peace, development and prosperity of east Asia.

After meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Li and Joko also attended a bilateral economic cooperation forum, on the sidelines of which companies from the two countries signed around 30 deals worth US$40 billion, according to Suryo Bambang Sulisto, president of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Sulisto told the forum that China's investment in Indonesia's mining and maritime industry would bring good benefit to the country and Indonesia hoped to take advantage of China's economic growth.

Li said the two countries both had big populations, which means huge markets. They are complementary in terms of different industrialization processes. The two sides should combine China's advantage of technology and capital with Indonesia's advantage of market and resources to promote a coordinated upstream and downstream development.

The premier also pledged to encourage Chinese companies to increase investment to Indonesia.

Joko said Indonesia had demand for high-speed railway, port, airport, power plant and industrial parks. Indonesia will provide a good investment environment for Chinese companies.

Joko was invited by President Xi Jinping for a state visit. He will also go to Boao, in south China's Hainan province, to attend the annual Boao Forum for Asia conference.

Joko also met with Xi and top legislator Zhang Dejiang.