China’s Xi wants to expand cooperation with Indonesia in several key markets

BEIJING (Reuters) – China is willing to expand and strengthen cooperation with Indonesia in emerging industries such as the digital economy, photovoltaics and new energy vehicles, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday.

China is also willing to boost imports of Indonesia’s agricultural and fishery products, Xi said in a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of the Belt and Road Forum, according to state media China Central Television.

Xi said the two sides should deepen the integration of industrial chains and supply chains, and jointly promote the construction of a “regional comprehensive economic corridor.”

In October, Widodo inaugurated a $7.3 billion high-speed railway connecting the country’s capital with the city of Bandung.

The railway, one of the president’s flagship infrastructure projects and part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, has faced problems ranging from land procurement issues, pandemic-related delays and ballooning costs.

Xi labeled the high-speed railway a “golden brand” of China-Indonesia cooperation in building the Belt and Road, in his talks with Widodo, who has made trips to China over the past few months.

Widodo said Indonesia regards China as an important strategic partner in national economic development and construction, and “looks forward to further strengthening communication and cooperation with China,” state media reported.

Xi said the two sides should work closely together to safeguard the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) centrality, promote open regionalism, and demonstrate the responsibility of major developing countries.