President Xi Jinping Holds Talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Deciding to Upgrade China-Indonesia Relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Announcing that China Proposes to Prepare for the Construction of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank so as to Promote Connectivity Construction and Economic Integration Process in the Region
On the afternoon of 2 October local time, President Xi Jinping held talks in Jakarta with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia. Both sides decided to upgrade China-Indonesia relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Prior to the talks, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono held a grand welcome ceremony for Xi Jinping. When Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan arrived at the square in front of Independence Palace, the official residence of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, they were warmly greeted by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mrs. Yudhoyono. President Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan, as well as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mrs. Yudhoyono mounted to the inspection platform. The military band played the national anthems of the two countries and fired 21 gun salutes. Xi Jinping reviewed the guard of honour. Xi Jinping introduced the Chinese delegation and shook hands respectively with cabinet members of the Indonesian government.
Following the welcome ceremony, Xi Jinping and Mme. Peng Liyuan met with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Mrs. Yudhoyono. Both sides held cordial and friendly conversation. Xi Jinping expressed, this is my first visit to Southeast Asia after taking office as President of China and my first stop is Indonesia. This is my second visit to your country in 20 years. I am glad to see that under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia enjoys political and social stability with rapid economic growth, people living and working in peace and contentment, and the country's rising regional and global influence. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a pathfinder of China-Indonesia strategic partnership and we express appreciation for this. China is ready to work with Indonesia to focus on the future, to strengthen cooperation and to join hands moving ahead.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono extended welcome to Xi Jinping for the visit. He said that the Indonesian people are grateful for President Xi Jinping choosing Indonesia as the first stop of his Southeast Asian tour. It is believed that the visit will surely uplift the bilateral relations to a new high and become a new milestone for bilateral relations.
Soon afterwards, Xi Jinping held talks with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Xi Jinping expressed that China and Indonesia are both influential big developing countries in the region and in the world as well as important emerging market countries. The two countries share similar goals in the process of national development, extensive common interests in safeguarding prosperity and stability of the region, as well as much common language in international affairs. The China-Indonesia relations are not only reflected on bilateral levels, but also on regional and international levels. The two countries enjoy fruitful mutually beneficial cooperation with broad prospects. The international and regional situations are now undergoing profound and complex changes and strengthening strategic cooperation is an inevitable choice of the two countries focusing on the future. China takes Indonesia as a priority for its foreign relations with neighbouring countries. China is ready to fully deepen cooperation with Indonesia to achieve common development and benefit both peoples, so as to safeguard long-term prosperity and stability of Asia, to push forward unity and cooperation among developing countries and to promote global peace and development.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed that since the two countries established strategic partnership in 2005, bilateral relations have enjoyed rapid development. China's overall national strength has been increasingly growing with unceasingly rising international status. China's upholding of stability and development is crucially important to both the region and the world. Indonesia attaches great importance to relations with China and hopes, taking the opportunity of the establishment of bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, to strengthen cooperation with China.
The two heads of state agreed to advance cooperation in all fields in an all-dimensional manner, to carry out exchanges and cooperation at higher levels, in wider areas and in a larger arena.
First, to always forge ahead in the direction of the overall development of bilateral relations, to support each other on major concerns, and to strengthen strategic mutual trust so as to lay a solid foundation for long-term stable development of bilateral relations.
Second, to boost cooperation in the fields of infrastructure construction, manufacturing, agriculture, investment and financing, to create new growth points, and to realize the goal of bilateral trade volume reaching 80 billion US dollars in 2015. To support Chinese businesses for actively joining in Indonesia's "six economic corridors" and connectivity construction, to support the building of China-Indonesia Integrated Industrial Parks in Indonesia. To strengthen cooperation in the fields of oil, gas and new energy, and to establish long-term reliable energy cooperative partnership. To deepen fiscal and financial cooperation, and to renew bilateral local currency swap agreement worth 100 billion RMB yuan and to actively consider expanding the scale.
Third, to enhance maritime cooperation, to establish inter-governmental fishery cooperation mechanism, and to launch negotiations on capture fishery arrangements. To establish aerospace cooperation mechanism, and to carry out cooperation in the fields of aerospace monitoring and control, satellite launch and application.
Fourth, to strengthen communication and coordination through defence and security consultations, navy dialogue and other mechanisms, and to deepen bilateral as well as China-ASEAN security cooperation. To enhance exchanges and cooperation in the fields of combating transnational crime and terrorism, disaster prevention and relief.
Fifth, to expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, to promote exchange among young students, media, think tanks and religions, to strengthen cooperation in tourism, and to conduct joint research on wildlife. China is willing to set up Chinese culture center in Jakarta, and will set up consulate-general in Bali. To carry out exchange of visits between 100-member youth delegations. China invites Shaikh Al-Islam of Indonesia to visit China.
Sixth, to strengthen coordination and cooperation in regional and international issues, and to jointly promote the development of China-ASEAN strategic partnership. China supports Indonesia to host the 21st APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. China will host the meeting the next year, and is willing to work with Indonesia to strengthen communication and coordination to ensure the meeting achieves expected goals. Indonesia supports China to host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting next year.
Xi Jinping said that to promote the construction of connectivity and the process of economic integration in the region, China proposes to prepare for the construction of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and is willing to offer financial support for infrastructure construction in developing countries in the region including ASEAN countries. The new Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank will work with the existing multilateral development banks outside the region to make full use of their respective advantages and jointly promote the sustained and stable growth of the Asian economy.
After the talks, the two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of an intergovernmental five-year development plan on economic and trade cooperation and many other cooperation agreements on fields including integrated industrial parks, fishery, tourism, meteorology and outer space, and jointly met the press.
Wang Huning, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and others participated in the relevant activities.
On the afternoon of the same day, Mme. Peng Liyuan, President Xi Jinping's wife, came to visit Indonesia's Alun Alun Center. Local children wore national costumes, playing drums and traditional bamboo tube instrument "Angklung" to warmly welcome the distinguished Chinese guests.
Peng Liyuan came to the exhibition area for outstanding national and public-interest products, and listened to an introduction by the head of the center. Kain Batik is a traditional textile craft, finished by wax printing, and several craftsmen were drawing the Kain Batik. Peng Liyuan watched carefully, and at the invitation of the host, took up the brush, copying carefully on the cloth.
Peng Liyuan also appreciated Indonesia's distinctive Kris sword, shadow play and puppet props, children's paintings, handicrafts, and metal crafts made of cans and other waste materials. Seeing the non-toxic wooden toy room for children by the disabled artisans, Peng Liyuan came forward and greeted them, praising their spirit of unyieldingness, self-improvement and positive life attitude.
Peng said that the crafts here are exquisite, fully showing the Indonesian people's diligence, wisdom and ingenuity. China and Indonesia both have splendid national culture, and we should strengthen exchanges and learn from each other.
Alun Alun Center is a social public welfare organization, dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional Indonesian culture, actively engaging in environmental protection and philanthropy, and enthusiastically caring for the old, the young, the sick, and the crippled.