Welcome Premier Zhu<\/p>\n
A very special guest is coming to town this Wednesday: Chinese
\nPrime Minister Zhu Rongji, who is starting his four-day official
\nvisit. The visit, the first by a Chinese prime minister to
\nIndonesia in 11 years, is very special in more than one respect.
\nIndonesia would do well to take advantage of and explore the
\nopportunities presented by this occasion.<\/p>\n
China has undergone a massive transformation in recent years
\nand it is no longer the backward communist state it once was.
\nAlthough the majority of its massive 1.2 billion population still
\nlives in poverty, and although on paper at least it is still a
\ncommunist state, China is well on its way to rapidly becoming one
\nof the world's major economic powers. With the rest of the global
\neconomy going into a recession while its own continues to boom,
\nand with Japan fast becoming a spent economic force, China's
\neconomic rise is even more pronounced.<\/p>\n
China is already absorbing more than two-thirds of all the
\nforeign direct investment bound for Asia, coming, of course, at
\nthe expense of other countries in the region, including
\nIndonesia. Many Indonesian investors had themselves got their
\nfeet in China's door long before the economy back home tumbled.<\/p>\n
With Beijing recently gaining admission to the World Trade
\nOrganization (WTO), the scene is set for China to become one of
\nthe world's largest international trading nations.<\/p>\n
This is a completely new, modern and very confident China that
\nthe rest of the world has to deal with. In Beijing we find a
\nregime far less ideologically inclined and far more pragmatic
\nthan the one we knew perhaps as recently as a decade ago. This is
\na new China that can, and will, exert its influence on the rest
\nof the world through a combination of its sheer geographical and
\npopulation sizes as well as, now, its economic power.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, like the rest of the world, is dealing with a
\ncompletely transformed and more powerful China. Jakarta would do
\nwell to review its ties with Beijing, and to establish a new kind
\nof relationship, taking this new reality into account.<\/p>\n
The visit by Prime Minister Zhu Rongji offers a great
\nopportunity for both countries to put that relationship on a new
\nfooting. Going by the news from Beijing last week, the visit will
\nplace a particular emphasis on economic cooperation. Zhu Rongji
\nreportedly will be making a new pledge of assistance to
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
We certainly believe that economic cooperation between the two
\nlargest countries in East Asia can go beyond China simply giving
\naid to Indonesia. Investment is one sector worth exploring. With
\nits massive foreign exchange reserves, China is already under
\npressure to begin exporting capital abroad. Indonesia, like the
\nrest of Asia, is well positioned to become one of the main
\nrecipients of China's investment if it plays its cards right.
\nAllowing the Bank of China to reopen its office in Jakarta, for
\nexample, would be a step in that direction.<\/p>\n
But this is a very special visit, most of all, because of the
\nman himself. Zhu Rongji is the brain and the chief architect
\nbehind China's economic success. The former Shanghai mayor --
\nthat is another success story in itself -- guided China's economy
\nthrough good and bad times in the last 10 years, first as deputy
\nprime minister and, since 1998, as prime minister.<\/p>\n
This is a man who is not only visionary, but is also willing
\nto take measures that are politically unpopular with members of
\nthe Communist politburo, such as when he closed down inefficient
\nstate companies. This is also the man who fought tirelessly for
\nChina's admission into the WTO. In short, this is the man who is
\nchiefly responsible for transforming China over the last 10 years
\ninto its present state, and in doing so, he is also the man
\nresponsible for changing the global power equation, hopefully for
\nthe betterment of not only his own people, but also for the
\npeople of the Asian region.<\/p>\n
Indonesia could not be more privileged in having a man of Zhu
\nRongji's international stature as a guest. On that note, we wish
\nto welcome the Prime Minister to Indonesia, and hope that his
\ntime here will be spent productively, for the benefit of the
\npeople of both countries.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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