Indonesia, China trade cooperation vital: exec

Indonesia, China trade cooperation vital: exec

JAKARTA (JP): Improved trade and investment relationships
between Indonesia and China is needed to support economic growth
in the Asia-Pacific region, an executive says.

"It is impossible for the Asia-Pacific economy to grow without
higher economic growth in Indonesia and China, the two most
populous countries in the region," Chairman of the Indonesian
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) Aburizal Bakrie told
reporters prior to a seminar here yesterday on trade and
investment relations between Indonesia and China.

The seminar was held by the Ministry of Trade in cooperation
with the Word Trade Center of Jakarta and the China Economic and
Trade Consultants Corporation (Consultec) to coincide with a one-
week visit of a trade delegation from China.

Aburizal, better known as Ical, said that the commercial
relationship between Indonesia and China will bolster cooperation
in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum which
groups 17 countries in the region.

Minister of Trade Satrio Budiardjo Joedono said in a written
message to the seminar that two-way trade between China and
Indonesia increased from US$1.14 billion in 1990 to $2,02 billion
in 1991, $2.14 billion in 1992 and $2.18 billion last year.

From the trade with China, Indonesia enjoyed a trade surplus
of $182.1 million in 1990, $356.1 million in 1991, $644.9 million
in 1992 and $313.5 million in 1993.

Data from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) showed that
in the last 26 years, China's investment in Indonesia totaled
$70.1 million in 19 projects, far lower than Taiwan's investment
of $4.03 billion for 266 projects.

The Chinese businessmen, led by Consultec's vice president,
Gao Zhen Xian, will visit industrial estates in Cikampek of West
Java, the Jakarta International Trade Center in Kemayoran,
Central Jakarta, and Bali. (icn)