Wang Yi holds talks with Indonesian President's Special Envoy Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan

On October 9, 2020, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesian President's special envoy, the country's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister in Tengchong city, southwest China's Yunnan Province.

Wang Yi asked Luhut to convey the cordial greetings from President Xi Jinping to President Joko Widodo. Wang Yi said, Indonesia is a world-influential major developing country and emerging economy. China has all along viewed their ties from a strategic perspective and prioritized the bilateral ties in its neighbor diplomacy. The world today is confronted with profound changes of a kind unseen in a century, which, together with COVID-19, poses a formidable challenge to the future and destiny of humans. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and Indonesia should conduct timely strategic communication and deepen strategic cooperation. Noting that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Indonesia diplomatic relations, Wang Yi expressed the hope that the two countries should, with a vision for fighting against the epidemic and recovering the economy, continue to consolidate the political trust and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. He believed that the Chinese and Indonesian people will further deepen their friendship in the fight against the epidemic, and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will be promoted to a new level in the post-COVID era.

Luhut forwarded a letter signed by President Joko Widodo and addressed to President Xi Jinping to Wang Yi and conveyed his president's heart-felt greetings to President Xi. Luhut appreciated the great contribution of China to the development of Indonesia for long. His present visit to China as the special envoy of President Joko Widodo is aimed at delivering on a series of new consensuses reached between our two presidents over phone not long ago and pushing increasingly ahead the bilateral relations and practical cooperation. Amid the outbreak of the epidemic, Indonesia hopes to strengthen vaccine and health cooperation with China and bring the role of the "fast-track lane" between the two countries into play to facilitate the exchanges of medical organizations and medical workers. And, Indonesia is willing to sign cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Maritime Fulcrum at an early date, enlarge its cooperation with China on trade and investment, actively put in place currency swap arrangements and settlements in local currency, step up the joint efforts in human resources and disaster mitigation, and learn from China's fight against poverty.

Noting that vaccine cooperation is the current focus of bilateral anti-epidemic cooperation because it enriches the content of China-Indonesian ties and also injects new momentum into the cooperation between the two, Wang Yi said China is willing to work with Indonesia to comprehensively promote the research and development, production and use of the vaccine, support the in-depth exchanges between competent departments of the governments and medical organizations of both countries, and jointly contribute to the availability and affordability of vaccines in the region and even in the world. Besides, the two countries should make good use of the "fast-track lane" and share relevant useful experience with other countries, and promote the building of a "fast-track lane" network in the region.

Wang Yi pointed out that accelerating the joint construction of the Belt and Road is an effective weapon against the epidemic. The cooperation between China and Indonesia under the Belt and Road Initiative has withstood the test of the epidemic and has become an "anchor of stability" for cooperation between the two countries, and it will set to drive the recovery of Indonesian economy in the post-COVID era. The two countries should focus on economic and social development in the wake of the epidemic, strengthen cooperation in fresh business formats and new models including e-commerce, artificial intelligence, big data, 5G and cloud computing, and work together to secure a first-mover advantage in the fourth round of industrial revolution. The two countries should enhance people-to-people exchanges, in particular the exchanges among the youth, to foster the talent in a position to promote the bilateral friendly cooperation. China is willing to share all the poverty alleviation experience with Indonesia.

Wang Yi emphasized, both China and Indonesia are a firm supporter of multilateralism. Currently, unilateralism is undermining the international order, and bullying practice is challenging the norms governing international relations. However, peace and development remains the defining trend of the times, the trend of win-win cooperation is irreversible, and the pursuit of progress defines the future. In history, China and Indonesia jointly advocated the Bandung Spirit with the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence as the core. Today, the two countries should play a leading role in upholding fairness and justice, maintaining multilateralism and the democracy in international relations, safeguarding the common interests of emerging economies and acting as responsible major developing countries.

Luhut said, as developing countries, both Indonesia and China have the right to achieve greater development, and this right should be respected. Regional peace and stability should be jointly maintained by the countries and people of the region, without any interference from the outside. Indonesia stands ready with China to support multilateralism and promote regional and international cooperation on development.

Both sides also exchanged in-depth views on international and regional issues of common concern.