Indonesia, China Discuss Cooperation   08/21 06:19

   

   JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) -- Top ministers for Indonesia and China discussed 
increasing defense cooperation and strengthening food and energy security 
between their countries at their meetings Friday in Jakarta.

   Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono said they aimed to ensure a new 
bilateral dialogue delivered progress toward their priorities for strengthening 
cooperation: political, economic, security, maritime and people-to-people 
relations.

   China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Indonesia and China also agreed to 
better coordinate on their major priorities of development and security, so as 
to provide strong safeguards for the modernization of both countries.

   "We will jointly oppose unilateral bullying and power politics. We must also 
remain vigilant against attempts in the region to challenge the outcomes of 
victory in World War II and turn back the wheel of history. We should safeguard 
international fairness and justice, as well as the legitimate rights and 
interests of developing countries," Wang said in their joint statement.

   Sugiono said they discussed strengthening food, energy and mineral security 
through the development of industries that support national resilience, which 
in the future will encompass areas such as artificial intelligence, the joint 
development of communications satellites and other advanced technology 
initiatives.

   "We also agreed to facilitate trade, including market exploration and the 
expansion of market access for Indonesia's flagship commodities," Sugiono, who 
uses one name, said in the joint statement.

   Wang said their new bilateral dialogue will "send a clear signal to the 
world of solidarity and cooperation between our two major emerging-market 
countries."

   The countries' defense ministers, Indonesia's Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and 
China's Dong Jun, met separately and discussed more defense cooperation 
including material cooperation, strengthening personnel, and the two countries' 
defense industries.

   "We also invite the Chinese armed forces to participate in joint exercises, 
such as the Heping Garuda exercise, which is a concrete example of the 
relationship between the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the Chinese armed 
forces," Sjamsoeddin said.

   Indonesia's economic ties with China have flourished in recent years, 
reaching about $167 billion in 2025.

   China became Indonesia's largest trading partner and plowed billions into 
major infrastructure projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway 
and Cirata, Southeast Asia's largest floating solar power project, on a 
reservoir in West Java, 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the capital, Jakarta.

   Disagreements have emerged over the pricing and timing for the projects, but 
China has been determined to follow through on them in keeping with President 
Xi Jinping's signature "Belt and Road" initiative to build infrastructure 
throughout the region.