President Urges Increase in Value of Trade with China

President Joko Widodo (right) talking to the Vice PM of China Yang Jiechi (left) during a working visit to discuss improvement of bilateral cooperation in the economic sector, at the State Palace, Jakarta.(ANTARA FOTO/Yudhi Mahatma/wdy/16)

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has urged that bilateral trade between Indonesia and China needs to be enhanced after it registered a decline recently.

"In absolute terms, the trade figure is indeed big, reaching US$44.4 billion, but there has been some decline," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said at the presidential office here on Monday afternoon.

In order to enhance the trade, the minister stated that Indonesia has proposed the establishment of an Indonesia Investment Promotion Center in Shanghai, China and has made efforts to eradicate trade barriers.

President Jokowi, as he is also called, received Chinas Deputy Prime Minister Yang Jiechi and a delegation of ministers and officials connected to economic affairs.

At the meeting, President Jokowi was flanked by Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs, Minister Retno Marsudi and Minister/state secretary Pratikno.

At the meeting, China informed that its investment in Indonesia has increased by 400 percent.

The two countries discussed the pace of development of a number of infrastructure projects now underway, including the Jakarta-Bandung high speed rail project.

The relations between the two countries have always remained closer, marked by bilateral visits and meetings between the two countries ministerial level officials.

"The President also revealed that communication between the two countries, including between presidents and coordinating ministers, has remained intensive throughout. Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs has recently returned from Beijing and, today, there is also a high level economic meeting between state counselors and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution," Minister Retno elaborated.

Chinese officials at the meeting included Chinese ambassador to Indonesia Xie Feng, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Liu Zenmin, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Yu Kangshen, Deputy Minister of Trade Gao Yan and Deputy Chairman of Reform Commission and National Development Wang Xiaotao. (WDY)