Indonesia confident to build stronger relations with China<\/p>\n
2 cols 8 pt italic<\/p>\n
Indonesian Ambassador to China Juwana who took up his post two
\nmonths ago is confident of building a stronger Indonesia-China
\nties as reflected in his interview with Harry Bhaskara of The
\nJakarta Post in Beijing recently.<\/p>\n
1 col 8 pt<\/p>\n
As a new Indonesian ambassador in Beijing how do you see our
\ncurrent bilateral relations?<\/p>\n
Ever since we restored our ties in 1990 there has been a
\nsignificant improvement in our relationship and with no obstacles
\nwhatsoever.<\/p>\n
As a new ambassador I feel there has been a strong desire in
\nboth countries to forge stronger ties albeit inside the boundary
\nof \"correctness\".<\/p>\n
What do you mean?<\/p>\n
Correctness is my catch-phrase. When I submitted my
\ncredentials to Minister of Foreign Affairs Qian Qichen he openly
\ndiscussed our up and down relationship and he hinted upon taking
\ncareful and gradual steps toward forging a stronger relationship,
\nan approach analogous to those dictated from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Is there any immediate agenda?<\/p>\n
Improvement of bilateral ties is at the top of our agenda, as
\na conducive political climate will contribute to stability and
\npeace in Southeast Asia which will be favorable for development
\nin both countries. Secondly, creating an economic tie that can be
\nbeneficial to both countries. Another important task is to kick
\noff progress in other spheres using the improved political and
\neconomic ties as a basis.<\/p>\n
You mentioned economic ties... could you elaborate on this?<\/p>\n
Our mission is to increase the volume of trade without
\njeopardizing our trade balance. I have conveyed this message to
\nboth Chinese officials and company managers.<\/p>\n
What products are being offered by the Chinese?<\/p>\n
They are offering a variety of products, especially medium
\ntechnology machinery which we really need for our development in
\nour far flung provinces, and they have plenty of them to sell.
\nHowever, I always remind them that selling these items should
\nalways be reciprocated with purchases on their part, lest our
\ntrade balance be disturbed. This would have an effect on other
\nsectors including politics and they fully understand it.<\/p>\n
What should we do in this respect?<\/p>\n
We need to boost counter-trade to prevent a possible trade
\ndeficit. Statistically with our trade balance with China there is
\na surplus in our favor, although it is a declining surplus,
\nwhereas most other countries' trade with China have been in
\ndeficit. We might follow suit in one or two years if the selling
\nof machinery from China is not reciprocated with more buying of
\nour products.<\/p>\n
That's the reason why I always keep in touch with Chinese
\nstate companies and semi-government firms which are willing to
\nlink their selling of their machinery with buying of our products
\nsuch as crude oil and plywood. But I am still in the dark as to
\nhow the Indonesian government will respond to it. It seems that
\nour government is still working out the quota for each of those
\ncompensation commodities.<\/p>\n
Although demand for these compensation commodities is high?<\/p>\n
The demand is high and in the absence of a direction I have
\nasked Chinese delegations, be it from state companies or semi-
\ngovernment companies, to come over to Jakarta to hold direct
\nnegotiations.<\/p>\n
If I may come back to politics, why did the Chinese government
\nfeel the need to comment on the recent Medan riot?<\/p>\n
It was an answer by a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman to a
\nquestion from a Singapore journalist in a routine weekly
\nbriefing. The question implied that the riot was an anti-Chinese
\none. A foreign news agency which later carried the story had
\nmixed up the question and the answer.<\/p>\n
So, there was actually no statement from the Chinese foreign
\nministry?<\/p>\n
Yes, there was no statement. It was an answer from a question
\nin which the spokesman said that based on the good relationship
\nbetween the two countries the Indonesian government would be able
\nto handle whatever problem comes to the surface.<\/p>\n
This episode shows that there are still sensitive issues to
\nbe reckoned with in our bilateral ties and the Chinese government
\nis fully aware of this. Hence the importance of correctness in
\nour relationship, the ability to look at an issue in a
\ncomprehensive way.<\/p>\n
Is there any pertinent issue in the near future?<\/p>\n
After the normalization of our relationship the embassy has
\nreceived 32,000 visa applications from Chinese people to visit
\nIndonesia. I don't know how many Indonesians have applied for
\nChinese visas but one source said that it was more than 100,000.<\/p>\n
Immediately after I presented my credentials, I paid a visit
\nto the Chinese chief justice and attorney general to set up a
\nrapport in anticipation of a problem that might come out of this
\nrapid flow of people.<\/p>\n
Coincidentally our attorney general has just made a visit
\nhere and plans are afoot to set up a cooperation in the legal
\nmatters.<\/p>\n
So, this is a kind of preventive action?<\/p>\n
That's right. In so doing, we also have to rid ourselves from
\nundue suspicion (toward the Chinese) as better cooperation in
\nlegal matters will yield better understanding between the two
\ncountries, as the case of Singapore in the late 1970s has proven.
\nAt that time it was very difficult to get trade statistics from
\nthem, for example. But after a cooperation in the field of law
\nhad been established all went on smoothly.<\/p>\n
What is the purpose of the visit of the 32,000 Chinese?<\/p>\n
Most of them are visits by various delegations and trade
\npurposes. The others are family visit and tourists. However,
\nIndonesia has not been put in the tourist destination list by the
\nChinese government, although this is now in the process of being
\nnegotiated. But as their living standard improves more and more
\nChinese can afford to travel abroad. Malaysia, for example,
\nreceives 20,000 Chinese visitors per month primarily for trade
\npurposes since the country is a close trading partner of China.<\/p>\n
We have streamlined our visa application procedure to ensure a
\nsmooth process by working closely with our foreign ministry, our
\nimmigration department and related institutions. Yesterday I met
\nwith operators of 35 travel agencies which are based in Hong Kong
\nand China to discuss about visa application.<\/p>\n
Referring to the flow of people between the two countries,
\nwhat about the former members of the banned Indonesian Communist
\nParty who took refuge here since the 1960s?<\/p>\n
So far no one has ever showed up here. Also the issue has
\nnever crept up in our bilateral relations. In this case we have
\nto appreciate the correctness of the Chinese government.<\/p>\n
Or perhaps they have become Chinese citizens?<\/p>\n
That may be. I don't know. Or perhaps they haven't changed
\ntheir citizenship and become stateless, since the Chinese
\ngovernment also recognize stateless people.<\/p>\n
What about visits by Indonesian conglomerates, do they contact
\nthe Indonesian embassy while they are here?<\/p>\n
We will much appreciate it if Indonesian citizens will contact
\ntheir embassy while they are abroad. So far only a few of them
\ndrop by at the embassy. Actually, China is a large country anyway
\nand those who go to Shanghai, Shenshen or Guangzhou may have not
\ntime to come here.<\/p>\n
It will be helpful if they contact us or at least inform us
\nwhere they are because should something happens we will be held
\nresponsible.<\/p>\n
Besides, I have set up a program to invite visiting
\nIndonesians, be they from the government or private sector, to
\ngive a lecture to our embassy staff. If they have something to
\nshare for the improvement of our mission, why not?<\/p>\n
30<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-confident-to-build-stronger-relations-with-china-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }