What does President Jokowi Visit to China Mean?

TheIndonesia.co - President Joko Widodo's (Jokowi’s) visit to China on July 25–26, 2022, will hopefully pave the way for strengthening South-South cooperation, Denpasar-based Chinese consul general Zhu Xinglong has said. Jokowi will be the first head of state to visit China and meet President Xi Jinping after the Winter Olympics, which were held in Beijing in February 2022, Xinglong said.

"It (the visit) proves the significance of China-Indonesia relations," he said in an interview transcript published by the Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar, Bali, on Monday, July 26, 2022..

He expressed the hope that the close cooperation between Indonesia and China will set an example for other developing countries, particularly in Asia, to follow suit. "We hope the cooperation between the two countries will set an example for developing countries to establish mutually beneficial relations, and advance and grow together. Above all, (it) will become a pioneer for (strengthening) South-South cooperation," he said.

The relations between China under the leadership of Xi Jinping and Indonesia under the leadership of President Jokowi have been growing rapidly, particularly within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he pointed out. "In the joint development cooperation, the Belt and Road (Initiative) has yielded a tangible fruit for the welfare of the people in the two countries and contributed to regional and global prosperity and stability," he said.

One of the examples of partnerships created within the framework of the initiative is the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway project, he added.

"Right now, the civil jobs on the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway project have reached 91 percent completion and 13 tunnels have been completed. The other main projects such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor and Two Countries and Twin Parks have enhanced cooperation and prosperity for the two countries," he said.

Meanwhile, trade between the two countries has also grown significantly, he noted. "In 2021, bilateral trade, for the first time, surpassed US$100 billion. China has been Indonesia's largest trade partner for nine consecutive years and Indonesia's largest export destination for six consecutive years. In addition, China is one of the main investors in Indonesia," he highlighted.

Hence, he said he believes that the meeting between Jokowi and Xi will further strengthen relations between the two countries. "We believe it will increasingly deepen the sense of strategic mutual respect and pragmatic cooperation between the two sides through President Jokowi's visit," he added.

Jokowi visits China on the first leg of his tour of three East Asian nations, which will also take him to Japan and South Korea.