What have China and Indonesia achieved together?

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will embark on a journey to Indonesia on Sunday for an official visit that will last until Tuesday, at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. It will be Li's first oversea trip since the new Chinese government took office in March.

Indonesia, as China's neighbor across the sea, is not only an important hub along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, but also a witness to the proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping set forth the initiative for the first time in an address to the Indonesian House of Representatives in 2013.

This year marks the 68th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Indonesia, and bilateral ties have yielded fruitful results in recent years.

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Li's agenda in Indonesia

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 9, 2014. /Xinhua Photo

During his visit to Indonesia, Li will hold talks with President Joko, and jointly attend a China-Indonesia business summit.

Li and Joko will witness the signing of multiple cooperation agreements concerning strategic docking, e-commerce and agricultural cooperation among others, injecting fresh momentum into friendly bilateral cooperation between the two countries, according to Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian.

Li will also meet with Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla.

The Chinese premier will visit the ASEAN Secretariat, meet with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, and attend celebration activities of the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Bilateral political ties

Ties between China and Indonesia have experienced ups and downs since the two sides established diplomatic relations in April 1950, which was suspended in October 1967 due to the occurrence of 1965's "November 30 event." In August 1990, the two countries declared the formal resumption of their diplomatic relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is in Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

And thereafter bilateral relations developed rapidly and the leaders of the two states have exchanged visits and contacts.

Within three years, President Joko has visited China five times and held six bilateral meetings with President Xi. Last year, President Joko Widodo attended the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), which was held in China, and during which the two presidents reached an important consensus on further synergizing development strategies and expanding practical cooperation across all sectors.

The two countries have maintained comprehensive dialogues at all levels, and the bilateral relationship has gained vigorous momentum and all-around growth.

Bilateral trade ties

Bilateral business ties and practical cooperation have grown from strength to strength. In 2017, the two-way trade between China and Indonesia registered a year-on-year growth rate of 18.3%, reaching 63.3 billion US dollars.

Photo taken on July 15, 2017 shows the construction site of the Walini tunnel project of the High-Speed Railway (HSR) linking Indonesian capital Jakarta to Bandung. /Xinhua Photo

In particular, Indonesian export to China increased by 33%, leading to a more balanced trade relationship. The annual increase of Chinese investment in Indonesia in 2017 surpassed 30%, with total volume reaching 3.4 billion US dollars.

Major cooperation projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, are in full swing while new growth drivers keep emerging in infrastructure, industrial capacity, digital economy and other sectors.

And during last year's BRF, President Joko proposed the Regional Integrated Economic Corridors initiative, as a new landmark project in the joint efforts to synergize respective development strategies.

Thriving cultural exchanges

The already-thriving people-to-people and cultural exchanges have further deepened the mutual understanding between the peoples.

A visitor enjoys the photo exhibition during "Experience China" in Jakarta, Sept. 27, 2016. /Xinhua Photo

In 2017, the number of Chinese tourists to Indonesia reached 2.06 million, an increase of 275% from 2013, ranking China as the largest source of overseas tourists to Indonesia.

China currently receives more than 14,000 Indonesian students and has become Indonesia’s second most popular overseas education destination.

Giant pandas, Cai Tao and Hu Chun, have made their homes in Indonesia, building yet another bridge of friendship between the peoples.

(With input from a signed article of Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian)