Chinese leader expresses willingness to maintain close strategic communication

Indonesian supporters waves Indonesia flag and hold a banner showing Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto, left, and vice president-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

Newly inaugurated Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto reacts as his predecessor Joko Widodo (left) and leaders of the People's Consultative Assembly applaud after Subianto was sworn in as the country's eighth president at the parliament building in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 20, 2024.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday sent a congratulatory message to Prabowo Subianto on assuming the presidency of Indonesia. Experts said that China will continue to strengthen ties with Indonesia by boosting BRI cooperation that benefits both sides, and will better coordinate and cooperate with Indonesia to promote China-ASEAN relations to safeguard regional peace and withstand impacts from external forces.

Noting that China and Indonesia are traditionally friendly neighbors, Xi said that the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has been growing steadily, entering a new era of building a community with a shared future, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

Next year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Indonesia, which will provide a new opportunity for advancing bilateral cooperation, Xi said.

Xi also expressed willingness to maintain close strategic communication with Prabowo to guide the building of a China-Indonesia community with a shared future to a higher level, and write a new chapter of seeking strength through unity, promoting solidarity and coordination, and achieving mutual benefit between the two major developing countries.

At the invitation of the Indonesian government, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, as the special representative of President Xi, arrived in Jakarta on Saturday for a three-day visit to Indonesia. He was scheduled to attend the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto in Jakarta on Sunday.

Han also met with outgoing Indonesian president Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Saturday. Han said at the meeting that China is willing to work with Indonesia to carry forward the fine tradition of bilateral friendship and cooperation, deepen all-round strategic coordination, jointly promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, ensure smooth operation of major cooperation projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, and continue to write a new chapter of solidarity, cooperation and mutual benefit.

Noting that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is a landmark cooperation project between the two countries and a symbol of their friendship, Widodo said that Indonesia is willing to make joint efforts with China to continue to ensure efficient operation of the railway.

Indonesia attaches great importance to developing relations with China, Widodo said, noting that under the leadership of the new Indonesian government, bilateral relations will continue to be lifted to new levels.

Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday that both countries are sending out a strong signal that China-Indonesia relations will continue to strengthen. "In the future, both sides will further boost cooperation in fields including infrastructure construction, the digital economy, green economy, poverty alleviation and agriculture."

China and Indonesia are expected to cooperate in new areas with potential, such as working together to boost the maritime economy in the region, Xu noted.

Community of shared future

By calling to build a community with a shared future, China is sending another message that the two countries have already built high-level mutual trust, especially in recent years. The two sides are not just normal partners, but have already intertwined their strategic interests to share benefits and deal with challenges together. This path can guarantee sustainable, solid and win-win relations between the two countries, experts said.

According to the Associated Press, Prabowo has vowed to continue Widodo's modernization efforts, which have boosted Indonesia's economic growth by building infrastructure and leveraging the country's abundant resources.

China and Indonesia can work together to withstand the impact from those outside the region that are trying to instigate bloc confrontation by hyping the South China Sea issue, experts said.

China and the vast majority of regional countries are working together to manage and find solutions via negotiations, and China will work with Indonesia to safeguard and further promote the existing win-win cooperation.

The Jakarta Post, a major English-language media in Indonesia, published an editorial on October 5 titled "No to Asia's NATO" which laid out its firm opposition to the idea, and warned of external ideas that are trying to bring bloc confrontation into the region.

The editorial said: "The idea of an Asian NATO is aimed at unifying all available forces to band together against China, which would be considered very offensive for the 10-member ASEAN" and that "ASEAN has more choices than the US and its allies, including Japan, may think."

External forces will not cease in their aim of making trouble for the region. However, Indonesian leaders as well as the people of Indonesia, have enough wisdom and determination to act independently and maintain strategic autonomy, said Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University.

"Indonesia is the most populous country in ASEAN, and it plays a significant role in the organization. Apart from bilateral cooperation, China and Indonesia will cooperate to further strengthen China-ASEAN relations to better safeguard regional peace and boost regional trade, economic development and integration," Li said.

China now has developed very successful bilateral relations with the vast majority of ASEAN members, and it is believed that China-Indonesia relations will be a pillar and paradigm to guide and promote the comprehensive development of China-ASEAN relations, Li noted.