Xi holds talks with Indonesian president in Beijing, calling for building a community with a shared future with regional and global influence

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Beijing on Saturday. Photo/Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Beijing on Saturday, expressing willingness to work with the new Indonesian government to continue to promote self-improvement, solidarity and win-win cooperation among major developing countries.

Prabowo is in China on a state visit at the invitation of Xi.

Xi noted that Prabowo visited China on his first overseas trip right after his election in March and chose China as the first country to visit after taking office, which speaks volumes about the great importance it attaches to the development of relations with China and demonstrates the high level and strategic nature of China-Indonesia relations, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Xi went on to stress that adhering to strategic autonomy, mutual trust, mutual assistance, win-win cooperation, fairness and justice not only represents a summary of experience in the development of bilateral relations in recent decades, but also an important principle that must be followed to ensure the sustainable and stable development of bilateral relations in the future.

The two sides also issued a joint statement on promoting the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership and community with a shared future.

The two sides agreed to hold the first meeting of the 2+2 dialogue mechanism for foreign and defense ministers in 2025, which serves as the main platform for expanding high-level strategic communication and political cooperation, security and defense between the two countries, according to the joint declaration.

Experts said the partnership between China and Indonesia not only strengthens bilateral ties, but also sets a model at the regional and global levels, highlighting mutual efforts in the drive for modernization and common development of the South, the cooperation in security and economic affairs being the most notable. highlights of this meeting, they added.

“China is willing to work with the new Indonesian government to build on past achievements, promote the building of a community with a shared future with regional and global influence, and continue to write a new chapter in the pursuit of self-improvement through solidarity and strengthening coordination and cooperation, mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation among major developing countries,” Xi said.

The partnership between China and Indonesia is not only of significance to bilateral relations, but also a model at the regional and global levels, said Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, to the Global Times. The partnership highlights the two countries' efforts to advance modernization and strengthen the resilience and growth of major developing nations through South-South cooperation.

The message is clear: Regardless of changing international dynamics, the fundamental principles of friendly cooperation between China and Indonesia remain steadfast, Xu said.

Besides reflecting its desire to strengthen ties with major powers such as China, Prabowo's choice also highlights that the Southeast Asian nation aspires to play a greater role on the global stage, Ma said. Bo, associate professor at the School of International Studies at Nanjing University.

Ma believes that relations between the two countries have entered a period of accelerated development, as the Prabowos administration, building on the friendly approaches of its predecessor, is likely to strengthen mutual strategic trust with Beijing, especially when the both parties share a commitment to regional peace. amid recent instability.

In addition, Indonesia highly expects China's support in its economic development and looks forward to further complementary cooperation in areas such as infrastructure and industrial relocation, Ma told the Global Times.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed ​​Railway (HSR), Indonesia and Southeast Asia's first bullet train and a landmark project under the proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by China, celebrated its first year of operation on October 17, after picking up 5.79 million passengers, according to China State Railway Group Co.

Prabowo served as Minister of Defense from October 2019 until October 2024, when he took office as President of the Republic of Indonesia. He was elected president in March 2024, according to the Xinhua news agency.

Xu said China and Indonesia have considerable potential for security cooperation in traditional and non-traditional areas.

In terms of traditional security, the two countries have always worked together to maintain regional peace and stability. Take the South China Sea issues as an example: the two countries have collaborated to advance consultations on a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

In the area of ​​non-traditional security, their cooperation is also extensive, covering areas such as climate change, financial stability and joint efforts to combat transnational crime, particularly targeting telecommunications fraud, said Xu told the Global Times, adding that both sides carried out effective actions. cooperation to apprehend telecommunications fraud criminals.

Ma added that in light of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the ongoing war in the Middle East, Indonesia recognizes that regional peace is crucial for its economic development. Prabowo set an ambitious target of 8 percent annual economic growth during his first term, and achieving this goal depends on ensuring a stable and peaceful environment in the region, the expert said.

Fisheries cooperation is a key area of ​​collaboration between the two countries. With Indonesia's rich fishery resources and China's vast consumer market, their cooperation in this sector is highly complementary and holds great potential, Xu said.

Home to abundant aquatic resources, Indonesia aims to increase its fishery production capacity through cooperation with China. Xu added that the China-Indonesia Joint Laboratory for Marine Science, established last year, and the “Two Countries, Two Parks” project between the two sides, which includes jointly building the supply chain of fishing industry, are proof of the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two parties. the maritime sectors of the two countries.