‍Chinese Premier Li Keqiang traveled to Indonesia as the destination of his first visit abroad since starting a new five-year term of office in March. The visit showcases the remarkable emphasis Beijing has put on ties with Jakarta, according to Xiao Qian, China’s ambassador to Indonesia.

Premier Li is building on the existing partnership with Indonesia. Beijing and Jakarta became comprehensive strategic partners five years ago when Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to the Southeast Asian nation.

During the visit in 2013, President Xi also proposed the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to boost maritime connectivity. The initiative is part of the massive Belt and Road Initiative. 

Beijing’s proposal coincides with Indonesian President Joko Widodo's vision to turn his country into a maritime power. In November 2014 President Widodo declared Indonesia a global maritime axis. The Jakarta Post says the ambitious plan focuses on five key areas of maritime development such as “embedding maritime cultures, developing marine infrastructure through an inter-island maritime highway, boosting Indonesia’s maritime-resource development, placing maritime and border issues at the heart of diplomacy, as well as strengthening maritime security.”

When the Indonesian leader visited China in March 2015, President Xi said Beijing would facilitate the construction of Indonesia’s maritime highway through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and Silk Road Fund. 

The two leaders have been in constant contact to promote cooperation. President Widodo paid five visits to China while President Xi visited Jakarta twice in the past five years. 

Trade has been growing, too. China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner for seven years in a row. Last year, bilateral trade came to 63.3 billion US dollars, up by 18 percent than in 2016. 

The Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway is another flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative. After delays caused by official permits and land acquisition, Xinhua News Agency reported that the Walini tunnel, the first of the 13 tunnels along the railway, was launched in July 2017. 

The high-speed rail line, linking Indonesia's capital with its fourth largest city is the first of its kind in Indonesia. The train is designed to travel at 350 kilometers per hour, taking only 40 minutes for a one-way trip. It was supposed to put into service in 2019.