RI, China need each other<\/p>\n
Primastuti Handayani, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Red-and-white flags were seen side by side with Chinese flags
\nalong Beijing's main road, including in front of the Tiananmen
\nSquare and the Renmin Dahuitang (the Great Hall of the People),
\nindicating the arrival of Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono to the world's emerging economic superpower, China.<\/p>\n
A warm welcome by President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao
\nshowed that China was serious in improving diplomatic ties
\nbetween the countries. Jakarta-Beijing ties were restored on Aug.
\n8, 1990, after being frozen by former President Soeharto due to
\nChina's involvement in an alleged coup attempt by the Indonesian
\nCommunist Party (PKI) in 1965.<\/p>\n
Susilo's visit -- rescheduled from July 13 due to the fuel
\ncrisis at home -- was a response to Hu's attendance at the Asian-
\nAfrican Summit in Jakarta in April.<\/p>\n
Coming to Beijing with a 100-strong entourage, Susilo offered
\nthe country's vast energy resources -- with estimated reserves of
\nnine billion barrels of oil, 188 trillion standard cubic feet
\n(tscf) of gas and 19.3 billion tons of coal -- and infrastructure
\nprojects for Chinese businesses, as well as increasing two-way
\ntrade.<\/p>\n
The signing of deals worth a total of US$9 billion -- $7
\nbillion in the energy, transportation, technology and education
\nsectors and an additional $2 billion in commitments from Chinese
\nbusinesses for the energy and infrastructure sectors -- reflected
\nhow both sides have worked to follow up April's Strategic
\nPartnership Agreement signed by the leaders.<\/p>\n
China's assertion that its investments do not need an
\nIndonesian government letter of guarantee reflected that
\ncountry's trust toward Indonesia, despite ongoing problems with
\ncorruption, weak law enforcement and red tape. Those problems
\nrepresent Susilo's homework, which he has promised will be
\nresolved soon in a bid to create a more conducive investment
\nclimate.<\/p>\n
Tradewise, both Indonesia and China aim at increasing trade,
\nwhich last year stood at $9 billion, to $30 billion annually by
\n2010.<\/p>\n
China needs Indonesia not only to supply its energy-hungry
\nindustries with oil, gas and coal, but Indonesia's 220 million
\npopulation represents a huge market for Chinese products, which
\nare known for their cheap prices.<\/p>\n
Susilo also wants to learn from China, which has managed to
\nmaintain its economic growth at 8 percent to 9 percent annually.
\nIts trade volume was $850 billion in 2003, and within the last
\nthree decades it reduced the number of people living under the
\npoverty line -- those having a daily income of less than $1 --
\nfrom 80 percent to 15 percent.<\/p>\n
In international relationships, Indonesia plays a pivotal role
\nin China's international policy regarding Sino-Japan tensions,
\nfollowing their rows on United Nations reform and disputes over
\nthe history of Japanese occupation in China.<\/p>\n
Japan, as part of the Group of Four (G-4) in addition to
\nBrazil, Germany and India, has been seeking a permanent seat on
\nthe UN Security Council. China, a Security Council permanent
\nmember, opposes the idea.<\/p>\n
With its free and active foreign policy, Indonesia has
\nconveyed its disappointment over the increasingly heated debate
\non UN reform, which has deviated from the original purpose of
\ncleaning up the body from corruption, improving its cumbersome
\nbureaucracy and resolving its outstanding problems.<\/p>\n
As the largest country in the Southeast Asian region as well
\nas having the largest population of Muslims in the world,
\nIndonesia has become a key nation for the world's superpowers to
\nstrengthen their influence in the region.<\/p>\n
Susilo's decision to visit China, two months after his
\noverseas trip to the United States and Japan, showed how he tries
\nto politically befriend the superpowers as well to obtain
\neconomic advantage from such relationships.<\/p>\n
All in all, despite all the political disputes, Susilo should
\nfocus on the purpose of his overseas visit, that is, to lure more
\nforeign direct investment to boost the country's economic growth,
\nwhich eventually will create jobs and improve the people's
\neconomic welfare.<\/p>\n
The author is a staff writer for The Jakarta Post.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ri-china-need-each-other-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }