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ANT/Indonesia, China to discuss trade balance
"A number of important issues will be discussed in the trade ministerial meeting such as our trade balance," she said.
The 10th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Yogyakarta on April 3, 2010 is held in the framework of increasing economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries.
The Indonesian delegation to the meeting will be led by trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu while the Chinese delegation by trade minister Chen Deming.
The JCM is a governmental forum of the two countries led by the two countries` trade ministers and has so far held nine meetings since 1990, with the last in Shanghai in 2007.
Mari said the JCM this time would be very important as it was also held to prepare agreements and action programs to follow up the Indonesia-China Strategic Partnership for the next five to ten years.
She said the Agreement on Expanding and Deepening Bilateral Economic and Cooperation would also be finalized at the meeting.
The agreement will be the umbrella for several working groups and action programs for the next ten years including revitalization of the Investment Promotion Joint Committee.
"And also for the cooperation in product standardization, technical assistance in ship building industry and possible cooperation in textile, textile product sectors and machinery," she said.
Specific issues will also be discussed at the meeting such as finalization and agreement for the opening of a branch office of Bank Mandiri in China, the use of Chinese grants for industrial sectors, implementation of the US$1.8 billion preferential export buyer`s credit for infrastructure projects, participation of Chinese companies in the 10,000 MW power plant development projects.
Mari said the two countries` trade ministers would also discuss participation of Indonesia as Country of Honor at the Asean-China Expo Nanning (on October 24-29, 2010) and World Expo Shanghai China/WESC (on May 1-October 31, 2010).
"Special discussions will also be held on the implementation of the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement," she said.
In connection with that she said Indonesia would certainly strive to raise the added value of the bilateral cooperation for the national interest such as increasing the country`s access to the Chinese market and investment including for infrastructure development.
