(Jakarta) Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Friday, indicating that Beijing wants to strengthen cooperation and economic exchanges with Indonesia, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
The two leaders held talks a day after concluding a series of summits in the Indonesian capital under the auspices of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Chinese premier said Beijing will strengthen cooperation and strategic mutual trust with Jakarta, including increasing imports of bulk goods and agricultural and fishery products, Xinhua said.
Beijing will work with Jakarta on several major joint projects that are part of China’s New Silk Roads strategy.
Li Qiang also assured that Beijing is ready to work with Indonesia to prepare for the commissioning this year of a high-speed train, funded by China, between the capital Jakarta and the Javanese city of Bandung.
The Chinese Prime Minister, who participated in the East Asia Summit on Thursday, took a trip on Wednesday in this high-speed train, still in the testing phase and whose delayed entry into service is due to take place in October .
On Wednesday, during an Asean 3 summit, also bringing together China, Japan and South Korea, President Widodo called on Beijing to increase its cooperation for the development of the electric vehicle industry in Indonesia, according to the Indonesian agency Antara.
While China is one of the largest investors in Indonesia, Chinese companies injected $8.2 billion last year, more than double the amount in 2021, according to official Indonesian figures.
Last July, President Widodo and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping signed agreements in Chengdu covering industry, agriculture, fisheries, e-commerce, science and innovation.
