Susilo to visit China next week
Susilo to visit China next week
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono plans to make a four-day state
visit to China next week to discuss bilateral trade and
investment cooperation.
Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said on Friday that
Susilo would leave for Beijing on July 27 but had decided to
suspend planned visits to Thailand and Brunei.
Initially, the President was scheduled to visit China, Brunei
and Thailand from July 13 to July 20, but the plans were canceled
after the recent fuel crisis hit.
Dino was earlier quoted by Antara saying the visit to China
had been arranged by Indonesian and Chinese officials in the past
few weeks. Dino said Susilo had to cancel his visits to Brunei
and Thailand because there was not enough time for him to visit
at this stage.
The President is to depart from Jakarta's Halim Perdanakusumah
Air Base at about 7 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive in Beijing
nine hours later.
Upon his arrival, Susilo will first hold a meeting with the
Indonesian community living in China.
On the second day, the President will meet China's National
People's Congress chief Wu Bang Guo and Chinese Prime Minister
Wen Jiao Bao for talks.
Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to receive Susilo on
the same day for bilateral talks, after which the two leaders
will witness the signing of several memorandums of understanding
on trade and investment.
That night, Hu is to hold a state dinner in Susilo's honor.
On the third day of the visit, Susilo planned a series of
meetings with Chinese businesspeople. "This is a standard format
for the President when making an overseas visit," Dino said.
The President would later attend a business lunch together
with members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(Kadin) and their Chinese counterparts.
On the fourth day, Susilo would visit Shenzhen, one of the
Chinese cities with the fastest economic growth, where he is to
meet the mayor and the secretary of the local communist party.
The President also plans to visit a hospital there and
technology company Huawei Technologies on the final day of the
visit, before flying home to Jakarta.
Hu Jintao made a visit to Indonesia last April for the Asia
Africa Commemorative Summit and officials from the two countries
signed an agreement to enhance bilateral trade worth between Rp
14 billion and $20 billion annually.
China also offered assistance to Indonesia in the form of $300
million of preferential buyer credits, and $1.5 million in loans
and equipment to help rebuild tsunami-ravaged Aceh.