China and Indonesia signed deals worth $10 billion at the Indonesia-China Business Forum in Beijing on Sunday, covering sectors such as food, new energy, technology and biotechnology, Chinese state media reported.
The forum followed a meeting Saturday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who was in China until Sunday, the first country he has visited since taking office last month.
Prabowo, who won Indonesia's presidential election in February, also chose China for his first visit as president-elect, underscoring Jakarta's commitment to stronger strategic ties with Beijing.
In a joint statement following the leaders' meeting, the countries agreed to strengthen collaboration in sectors such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, photovoltaics and the digital economy.
They also committed to strengthening their partnership on the global energy transition and jointly ensuring the security of global mineral supplies and industrial chains, the statement said.
Prabowo, in a separate statement, expressed optimism that close cooperation between the two countries would improve regional stability.
“We must lead by example: in this era, cooperation and not confrontation is the path to peace and prosperity,” Prabowo said, adding that Indonesia was determined to support Chinese investors.
Chinese battery materials producer GEM signed a deal with PT Vale Indonesia on Sunday to build a high-pressure acid leaching plant in Central Sulawesi, partly to secure nickel resources, according to a filing in Shenzhen. Prabowo witnessed the signing.
The nickel industry in Indonesia, the world's largest producer of the metal, is dominated by Chinese companies, including Tsingshan Holding Group and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt.
In the technology sector, Indonesian technology company GoTo Gojek Tokopedia signed deals with Chinese companies Tencent and Alibaba to develop cloud infrastructure and digital talent in Indonesia, Reuters reported earlier.
The two countries will introduce visa measures, including long-term multiple-entry visas, and encourage more direct flights and destinations based on demand, the joint statement said.
Other cooperation agreements signed during Prabowo's visit include collaboration in housing and the export of fresh coconuts from Indonesia to China.
