TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto in Beijing and congratulated the Indonesian president-elect, on Monday, April 1, 2024. "President Xi Jinping congratulated Prabowo Subianto on his election as the Indonesian president and asked him to convey his sincere greeting and best wishes to President Joko Widodo," the Chinese government stated in a local official media, CCTV.

According to the statement, Xi Jinping lauded the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train as a “golden sign of high-quality cooperation between the two countries” and that the relations between China and Indonesia “have entered a new stage of jointly building a community with a shared future".

It stated that Joko Widodo and Xi Jinping have shown leadership in the relationship between the two countries that achieved significant results in the past 10 years.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also attended the meeting.

Xi invited Prabowo to make an official visit to China on March 31-April 2, 2024, which would be his first visit abroad as president-elect of Indonesia. Xi said that China views the relationship between the two countries from a strategic and long-term perspective.

He also said that China is willing to deepen all-round strategic cooperation with Indonesia and build a China-Indonesia community with regional and global influence.

Xi also emphasized that the key to the two countries' relationship lies in “adhering to strategic independence, mutual trust, and mutual assistance… and fairness and justice”.

The two countries, Xi said, should follow a development path that suits their respective national conditions, and support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security, and development interests.

Xi added that China wants to maintain close ties with Indonesia, exchange experiences in governance, strengthen development strategies, promote the "two countries, twin parks" program, and regional comprehensive economic corridors, and continue to deepen maritime cooperation.

China also hopes to strengthen cooperation with Indonesia in poverty alleviation.

In this bilateral meeting, Prabowo Subianto also hoped to continue to implement progressively the action plan to strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Indonesia and China.

"Regarding defense cooperation, I see China as one of the key partners in ensuring regional peace and stability," Prabowo said as quoted from the Ministry of Defense's website.

"I am also committed to meeting Indonesia's defense equipment needs, including increasing defense industry cooperation and productive dialogue, as well as inter-service cooperation," he said.

ANTARA | KEMHAN

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