China, Indonesia vow to promote ties

Xi lauds Widodo's contributions to nations' friendship during his 10-year presidency

President Xi Jinping has commended outgoing Indonesian President Joko Widodo for his important contributions to promoting the friendship between China and the Southeast Asian nation.

He made the remarks on Monday during a phone conversation with the Indonesian leader, whose 10-year presidency comes to an end on Oct 20.

China is willing to work with Indonesia to jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure the sustainable operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, and create more highlights of cooperation to better benefit the people of both countries, Xi said.

Xi said he is confident that Indonesia's incoming government will continue with a friendly policy toward China and keep elevating the China-Indonesia community with a shared future, a consensus reached by him and Widodo in 2022.

Xi also expressed China's readiness to work with Indonesia to unite Global South countries for cooperation and safeguard the common interests of developing nations, in order to contribute to regional and global stability and prosperity.

China and Indonesia have witnessed deepening ties and extensive cooperation over the past decade. During his term, Widodo paid eight visits to China, while Xi and he met with each other 12 times. The Indonesian president said he had developed a strong personal bond with his Chinese counterpart.

Widodo thanked China for its contributions to Indonesia's economic development, saying that the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has become a prime example of the Belt and Road cooperation.

China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner for 11 consecutive years, while Chinese investment in Indonesia has continued to grow, with cumulative investments exceeding $52 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Widodo, who will be succeeded by Prabowo Subianto, said he believes that under the new government, the China-Indonesia relationship will continue to thrive.

Subianto visited China in April during his first overseas trip after winning the presidential election in March. He is expected to make another trip to China soon after taking office this month.

Muhammad Habib, a researcher at the Department of International Relations of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Indonesia, said the two countries reached an unprecedented peak in bilateral ties under Widodo's presidency.

" (There are) many things we can celebrate together — from a closer people-to-people connection to notable strategic projects, including the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park and the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway," he said.