Interview: More pragmatic cooperation expected between China, Indonesia: Chinese State Councilor

China and Indonesia have vast room for further pragmatic cooperation to achieve mutual benefits and development, said visiting Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi here Monday.

China and Indonesia pay high attention to bilateral ties, and it is in the interest of both sides to enhance strategic cooperation, said Yang in a written interview with Xinhua after attending the second meeting of the China-Indonesia High-level Economic Dialogue.

At the meeting, the two sides reviewed the implementation of major bilateral economic cooperative projects after the first meeting of the dialogue was held in January last year.

Broad consensus was reached as the participants exchanged in-depth views at the meeting on boosting practical bilateral cooperation in the next phase in fields like trade, investment, agriculture and fishery, infrastructure construction, energy, and finance, said Yang.

As a major intergovernmental cooperation mechanism and an important platform for promoting bilateral practical cooperation, the dialogue provides strategic guidance to the joint promotion of bilateral comprehensive economic cooperation and consolidates the economic basis of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, the Chinese state councilor said.

"Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis vision and China's 21th Century Maritime Silk Road have much in common strategically," Yang said, noting that they provide vast room for the two countries to advance their bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.

China and Indonesia have fully conducted exchanges and integration in economic development strategies and policies, and the process will continue in the future, the Chinese state councilor added.

As two major developing countries in Asia, Yang said maintaining sound and stable economic development is their shared task, especially at a time when the world economy faces downward pressure.

Minutes of the meeting and economic cooperation documents including a bilateral economic and technical cooperation agreement were signed at the dialogue table.

In recent years, China and Indonesia have enjoyed fruitful cooperation in economic and trade fields, with bilateral trade and investment rising steadily.

Frequent high-level exchanges have brought a number of important consensuses between top leaders of the two countries, said Yang.

Breakthroughs have been made in major bilateral projects like the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, and Indonesia has been actively involved in the development of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises have been promoting cooperation with the Indonesian side in the development of industrial parks and special economic zones, and in areas including infrastructure, power and energy and agriculture.

Yang called for further pragmatic cooperation between the two countries in fields such as market access, production capacity, investment, electric power and marine resources survey and development, fish farming and processing.

The two countries should also cooperate more and provide financing support in infrastructure construction, as well as expand local currency settlement, according to Yang.

The Chinese state councilor also expressed confidence in China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, saying bilateral trade in 2015 almost stood at the same level as the previous year, even though global commodity prices continued falling.

This year will mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations.

China would like to take the opportunity to advance the effective synergy between the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative and ASEAN's community building, and continue to steadily expand bilateral trade, Yang said.

Yang also called for more cooperation between China and ASEAN in infrastructure construction, interconnectivity and investment as well as in the construction of ASEAN industrial parks and equipment manufacturing.

China will further deepen reform and improve domestic investment environment to attract more ASEAN enterprises to invest in China so as to advance China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation to a new height, Yang said.

China will also continue to support ASEAN to play a leading role in regional integration and push for an agreement on the Regional comprehensive Economic Partnership as early as possible, he said.

China sees ASEAN as top priority while pursuing its neighborhood diplomacy featuring amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness, and is willing to boost cooperation with ASEAN countries including Indonesia and implement the initiative of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road in economic and trade fields, Yang added.

Besides attending the second meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Economic Dialogue, Yang also met with Indonesian President Joko Widodo here on Monday. Endit