Chinese issue is RI 'internal affair'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): China considers the issues raised by the
\npresence and activities of ethnic-Chinese Indonesians a domestic
\nmatter and will not interfere in it, visiting Foreign Minister
\nTang Jiaxuan said at a media briefing yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"The problems relating to the ethnic Chinese are Indonesia's
\ninternal affair,\" Tang replied when asked about the anti-Chinese
\nriots which flared in several cities earlier this year as the
\neffects of the economic crisis began to hit hard.<\/p>\n
\"The economy of the ethnic Chinese here is a component of
\nIndonesia's overall economy,\" Tang said after a 45-minute meeting
\nwith President Soeharto at the Bina Graha presidential office.<\/p>\n
\"As a foreign minister, I personally hope that Indonesia will
\nstabilize the economic situation peacefully and in harmony with
\nall ethnic groups in the country,\" Tang said, without
\nelaboration.<\/p>\n
But he said the matter was not discussed in his talks with
\neither Soeharto or Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.<\/p>\n
During his meeting with the President, Tang delivered a
\npersonal message from Chinese President Jiang Zemin, expressing
\nhis solidarity and support for the Indonesian people during their
\ntime of crisis.<\/p>\n
In return Soeharto praised China's decision not to devalue its
\ncurrency (the yuan), thereby not disrupting exports from other
\nAsian countries hit by the crisis.<\/p>\n
Any devaluation of the yuan would have made Chinese exports
\nmore competitive on the world market. Soeharto said China had
\nmade a great effort to escape the region's worst economic crisis
\nin 30 years.<\/p>\n
He noted that China, as a member of the Asian family,
\nconsidered maintaining the current yuan exchange rate as a
\nhelpful element in ensuring financial stability in Asia by
\nstimulating its agriculture, highway, railway and housing
\nindustries while slowing down its exports.<\/p>\n
Citing a pledge made by Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji
\nduring a meeting with Indonesian Vice President B.J. Habibie in
\nLondon earlier this month, Tang said China was \"ready to provide
\nas much food and grain as Indonesia wants (to import)\".<\/p>\n
Alatas said that Beijing had offered medical and food aid
\nworth US$3 million in addition to export credit facilities worth
\n$200 million over two years.<\/p>\n
Beijing is also willing to barter sugar, medicine and maize in
\nexchange for Indonesian oil, rubber and timber, explained Tang,
\nwho left Jakarta, after a three-day working visit, for Singapore
\nyesterday afternoon.<\/p>\n
This is Tang's first overseas trip since being appointed
\nforeign minister last month. (ego)<\/p>",
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