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Saturday, March 28, 2015

Jakarta Post: Jakarta-Beijing

Headlines

Xi Jinping hosts Jokowi
in Beijing

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Fri, March 27 2015, 6:46 AM
Underground trip: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) boards a subway train along with State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Thursday. Jokowi met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and the two witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding to boost ties in several key areas. Antara/Rini Utami
Underground trip: President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) boards a subway train along with State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing on Thursday. Jokowi met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and the two witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding to boost ties in several key areas. Antara/Rini Utami
Headlines News
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday. After a state welcoming ceremony, the two leaders discussed various bilateral issues and witnessed the signing of several memorandums of understanding (MoU) on the issues of finance, industry, infrastructure, natural disaster management and aerospace.

However, the two leaders apparently did not discuss any specific economic issues leading to more concrete commitments in the short term like those President Jokowi got from his bilateral discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on Monday.

President Xi described the relations between the two countries as growing well and smoothly and reminded his guests that the two countries are celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year.

“In November last year, when we attended the APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation] summit in Beijing, we agreed to translate our diplomatic ties into concrete cooperation beneficial for the two countries. In the last four months our cooperation has achieved progress in all fields,” the Antara news agency quoted the Chinese leader as telling his guest.

Jokowi attended the APEC summit in Beijing just one month after he was sworn-in as the country’s seventh president in October last year. Indonesia unilaterally froze its diplomatic relations with China after a foiled attempted coup by the Indonesian Communist Party in 1965. Indonesia accused China of being behind the coup attempt. The two countries resumed their relations in 1990 and the relations have been growing rapidly ever since.

Indonesia, the largest economy among the 10 members of ASEAN, suffered a trade deficit with the world’s second-largest economy in the last two consecutive years. Its exports to China in 2013 were worth US$22.60 billion and imports $29.84 billion. In 2014, the total trade between the two countries reached $48.23 billion, with Indonesia’s exports valued at $17.60 billion and imports at $30.62 billion.

“Indonesia is committed to enhancing cooperation with China at bilateral, regional and international levels,” Jokowi told the Chinese president.

The President intended to officially invite the Chinese leader to attend the Asia-Africa Summit’s 60th conference in Bandung late next month.

The Indonesian news agency did not mention whether the two leaders touched on regional issues, including the overlapping sovereignty claims over the South China Sea. China claims nearly the whole territory, while other claimants are Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

In an interview with a Japanese newspaper, published on Sunday, Jokowi said China’s claim does not have legal foundation in international law. He later clarified his statement, arguing that Indonesia just wanted to help accelerate the completion and implementation of a code of conduct on the South China Sea dispute.

He said on Tuesday in Tokyo that he was ready to discuss the issue with Chinese leaders and pointed out that Indonesia had offered to mediate the conflicts. “When it is needed, we are ready to become a good mediator,” Jokowi said.

On Friday, Jokowi will meet with the National People’s Congress Standing Committee chairman Zhang Dejiang and Premier Li Keqiang. He will also address a meeting between businesspeople from both China and Indonesia. The premier will also attend the gathering.

After his three-day state visit, he will fly to Hainan Province to attend the Boao Forum for Asia 2015 on Saturday, during which he will be one of the keynote speakers.
       
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Capedeh
Capedeh
There are much more serious and pressing issues in Indonesia now. But he does need to move around the world at some stages.
The whole domestic market is crashing as we speak, retrenchment, higher prices of staple products. Uncertainties. Instead the tax officials is making things extremely tough on already a tough conditions despite the fact that we are no longer in deficit. Social unrest building up. Amongst the Long list of issues that require attention
Just hope they got their priorities straightened. This is going to be extremely tough year for all of us.
brucelee4444
brucelee4444
How can Indonesia mediate when it is one of the involved parties? Jokowi lacks gravitas when it is needed - seems more at home and relaxed on a train the leading a nation, or is he???
PAKHUD
PAKHUD
ENOUGH ALREADY; JOKO IN AN AIRPLANE ON HIS WAY TO ANOTHER WASTE OF TIME "STATE VISIT", JOKO ON THE BULLET TRAIN, JOKO ON THE UNDERGROUND.

HOW ABOUT JOKO BACK IN INDONESIA WORKING ON STATE BUSINESS, SUCH AS EDUCATION ISSUES, HEALTH ISSUES, HOUSING ISSUES, ETC.???
Capedeh
Capedeh
Being a President and Governor require a totally different skill sets. This is gonna be a struggle.
mochawater
mochawater
Indonesia needs infrastructure to grow its economy - China offers exactly that to its friends.  

This is a huge step. 
abu abu
abu abu
He went to Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, Japan and now China in the same black suit? Is there a self-sufficiency policy on suits as well?
He could do well donning himself in his traditional Javanese batik to try to promote awareness of Indonesia's indigenous products. But for a self-styled nationalist he chose to travel in Western suit, albeit with only one known set.
It is Friday, Mr President, isn't batik attire supposed to be semi-compulsory for all office workers?
SiangMalam
SiangMalam
@abu abu and  the same red tie that is tied the old-fashioned way... and way too long for him.... can somebody tell him perhaps a navy blue or dark grey suit is OK for a president?
abu abu
abu abu
@ SiangMalam
Well spotted with the red tie. It should have been retired after his Philippines trip.
President Mandela of South Africa and President Karzai of Afghanistan are known to travel overseas in their own tradition attire and they are known as fashion icons for their respective countries.
weilim88
weilim88

Nelson Mandala was not wearing traditional attire. A lot of times he was wearing Batik ironically.

 
abu abu
abu abu
Ironic, indeed. You picked the right link to support your flimsy point, as usual.
"Buirski’s shirts became Mandela’s signature dress style and are known as ‘Madiba Shirts.’ ‘Madiba’ is the name of Mandela’s Xhosa clan and is used to indicate respect and affection for him.
Mandela’s support for her creations partly enabled Buirski to establish a business with branches in most of South Africa’s big cities. She exports shirts around the world. She also made several shirts for Hollywood actor, Morgan Freeman, when he played Mandela in the international hit film, Invictus."
I, too, can google.
mochawater
mochawater
Do you see Xi Jing Ping in traditional Chinese attire?  He's lobbying China, the biggest economic power in the world, to help build Indonesia not trying to peddle art crafts.
abu abu
abu abu
@ mochawater
The biggest economy in the world is the United States of America. End of story. Do not attempt to talk to me ever again because you cannot get simple facts right.
Good bye.
brawijaya
brawijaya
Since 2014 China become the biggest economy of the world. The US has to do a lot of work to regàin that position.
- See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/27/xi-jinping-hosts-jokowi-beijing.html#sthash.AMdO0RPY.dpuf
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