A signed article by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang titled Embarking on A New Voyage of China-Indonesia Friendly Cooperation was published on Saturday in the most popular Indonesian English newspaper The Jakarta Post. 

On Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang embarked on his first overseas visit to Indonesia. During his visit, Li will meet with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, visit the ASEAN Secretariat in Indonesia and attend an event in honor of the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, according to China's Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou.

Premier Li recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the initiative of building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road during his visit to Indonesia in 2013.

"Since then, a strong synergy has been developed between this initiative and Indonesia’s vision for the Global Maritime Fulcrum, re-energizing the centuries-old sea lanes and our shared dream of harnessing the ocean to the benefit of our peoples," Li said. "China will work with Indonesia to further enhance the complementarity between our development strategies. China will support Indonesia in building the regional economic corridors and upgrading its infrastructure and industrial development to make the maritime bond between us even stronger." 

China has become Indonesia’s largest trading partner for seven consecutive years. Their bilateral trade volume reached 63.3 billion US dollars in 2017, with a year-on-year growth rate of 18 percent. China has become Indonesia’s leading source of foreign investment, and the rapid growth of Chinese investment has increased local employment opportunities. 

Besides, China has become Indonesia's largest source of foreign tourists and the second largest destination for overseas students. More and more young people from Indonesia have chosen to study, work, and start businesses in China. 

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia. It is also the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. 

Li said China will work with ASEAN to develop a joint vision for China-ASEAN relations, forge greater synergy between their development strategies, and advance all-round cooperation to take this strategic partnership to a higher level. He said China is committed to closer maritime cooperation to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation for the benefit of all peoples in the region.