Chinese issue is RI 'internal affair'

Chinese issue is RI 'internal affair'

JAKARTA (JP): China considers the issues raised by the
presence and activities of ethnic-Chinese Indonesians a domestic
matter and will not interfere in it, visiting Foreign Minister
Tang Jiaxuan said at a media briefing yesterday.

"The problems relating to the ethnic Chinese are Indonesia's
internal affair," Tang replied when asked about the anti-Chinese
riots which flared in several cities earlier this year as the
effects of the economic crisis began to hit hard.

"The economy of the ethnic Chinese here is a component of
Indonesia's overall economy," Tang said after a 45-minute meeting
with President Soeharto at the Bina Graha presidential office.

"As a foreign minister, I personally hope that Indonesia will
stabilize the economic situation peacefully and in harmony with
all ethnic groups in the country," Tang said, without
elaboration.

But he said the matter was not discussed in his talks with
either Soeharto or Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas.

During his meeting with the President, Tang delivered a
personal message from Chinese President Jiang Zemin, expressing
his solidarity and support for the Indonesian people during their
time of crisis.

In return Soeharto praised China's decision not to devalue its
currency (the yuan), thereby not disrupting exports from other
Asian countries hit by the crisis.

Any devaluation of the yuan would have made Chinese exports
more competitive on the world market. Soeharto said China had
made a great effort to escape the region's worst economic crisis
in 30 years.

He noted that China, as a member of the Asian family,
considered maintaining the current yuan exchange rate as a
helpful element in ensuring financial stability in Asia by
stimulating its agriculture, highway, railway and housing
industries while slowing down its exports.

Citing a pledge made by Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji
during a meeting with Indonesian Vice President B.J. Habibie in
London earlier this month, Tang said China was "ready to provide
as much food and grain as Indonesia wants (to import)".

Alatas said that Beijing had offered medical and food aid
worth US$3 million in addition to export credit facilities worth
$200 million over two years.

Beijing is also willing to barter sugar, medicine and maize in
exchange for Indonesian oil, rubber and timber, explained Tang,
who left Jakarta, after a three-day working visit, for Singapore
yesterday afternoon.

This is Tang's first overseas trip since being appointed
foreign minister last month. (ego)