Visiting Chinese leader calls for stronger ties with Indonesia

Visiting Chinese leader Li Changchun has called for stronger bilateral relations between China and Indonesia while meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, sources with the Chinese delegation told Xinhua on Friday.

During the meeting in Jakarta on Thursday afternoon, Li, a member of the top decision-making body of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC), spoke highly of the traditional friendly ties between the two countries, according to the sources.

He noted that bilateral relations have developed rapidly in an all-round way since the two countries forged a strategic partnership in 2005, leading to fruitful cooperation in various areas.

"Our relations are at a new starting point, and it is of great significance to further develop our strategic partnership as the world is experiencing profound and complex changes," said Li, who is on the nine-member Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

As both countries have worked out detailed plans for future development, there are great opportunities and broad prospects for the expansion of pragmatic cooperation, Li told the Indonesian host.

He went on to put forward a four-point proposal on how to further enhance the strategic partnership, including the implementation of leaders' consensus for deeper political mutual trust and closer economic and trade ties, the promotion of people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation, more exchanges and cooperation between political parties, and better communication and coordination on regional and international affairs.

"The CPC wants to deepen its friendly relationship and exchanges with the (ruling) Democratic Party as well as other major political parties in Indonesia," he stressed.

For his part, President Yudhoyono said that he fully agrees to Li's proposal, and that the current top priority for the strategic partnership is to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by leaders of both countries.

He hopes that Indonesia and China will continue to push forward their cooperation in trade, culture, education and media industry, as well as on regional and international affairs.

Both Indonesia and China are exploring a development path that fits their own national conditions and wins support of the people, said the president, praising the CPC for its achievements in leading China onto a fast track of development.

Indonesia and China can draw on each other's experience of good governance through more exchanges and cooperation between political parties, so as to facilitate their own modernization process, Yudhoyono added.

According to the Chinese delegation sources, Li also met on Thursday with Marzuki Alie, speaker of the House of Representatives of Indonesia, to discuss parliamentary exchanges and bilateral relations.