JAKARTA, May 26 (Xinhua) — During Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s ongoing official visit to Indonesia, the two countries highlighted the contemporary value of the Bandung Spirit and pledged for closer bilateral cooperation as well as better strategic coordination.
“China stands ready to work with Indonesia and other developing countries to jointly uphold the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit,” Li said Sunday in talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.
In April 1955, a landmark conference in Indonesia’s city of Bandung gathered 29 Asian and African nations under the flag of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, marking the awakening of the part of the world known now as the Global South.
“Today, more than seven decades later, the world is once again at a critical crossroads,” Li said on Saturday when addressing the business community of the two countries.
Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and acts of bullying are increasing, he said, stressing that against this backdrop, the contemporary value of the Bandung Spirit has become more prominent.
Shortly after the premier’s arrival on Saturday, Li and Prabowo jointly visited a commemorative exhibition marking the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference.
In his visit, Li has urged China and Indonesia to make the pie of cooperation bigger, strengthen industrial integration and safeguard free trade.
He told Prabowo on Sunday that China is willing to work with Indonesia to enhance the alignment of development strategies and deepen high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, especially by optimizing and strengthening landmark projects. Li urged the two sides to further enhance the “golden brand” of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway.
The premier also said both sides should enhance market connectivity and industrial collaboration, improve the level of trade and investment facilitation, and expand cooperation in areas such as finance, new energy, digital economy, artificial intelligence (AI), aerospace and the ocean.
Noting that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, Prabowo said on Sunday that Indonesia will take this opportunity to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership with China and jointly promote peace, development in Asia and the world.
He said Indonesia is ready to expand cooperation with China in agriculture, finance, infrastructure, green economy, AI and education, and upgrade industrial collaboration. Prabowo also expressed the hope that more Chinese enterprises invest and do business in Indonesia.
The two leaders on Sunday witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation documents in areas concerning economic development policies, industrial and supply chain as well as finance.
Li also met with Speaker of Indonesia’s House of Representatives Puan Maharani on Sunday. He told Puan that China insists on taking Indonesia as a priority in neighborhood diplomacy, and is willing to deepen all-round strategic cooperation with Indonesia.
Analysts here spoke highly of the visit and the future development of China-Indonesia relations.
“Premier Li’s visit to Jakarta sends a strong signal that China-Indonesia relations are growing increasingly close. The two countries have developed a strategic partnership across economic, political and developmental spheres. This visit reflects the deepening cooperation and mutual recognition of each other’s roles in regional and global affairs,” said Muhammad Syaroni Rofii, a scholar on international relations at the University of Indonesia.
Li arrived here Saturday for an official visit and will leave for Malaysia on Monday to attend the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council)-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur.
