In an effort to increase its regional influence, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his replacement Prabowo Subianto on Thursday ( 18 April ).
Following Prabowoo’s visit to Beijing this quarter, where Chinese President Xi Jinping praised ties with Jakarta and laid out a perception for local harmony as tensions rise between Beijing and other Southeast Asian neighbors, including the Philippines, over the contested South China Sea.
In Indonesia’s presidential poll in February, Indonesia’s defense secretary Prabowo won with a first-round lot. He has endorsed fostering closer relations with Beijing.
Before visiting Widodo, more popularly known as Jokowi, at the presidential palace and therefore Prabowo at the defense department, Wang also met Indian foreign secretary Retno Marsudi before on Thursday.
Retno noted that Jokowi and Wang have called for a de-escalation and agreement between Israel and Hamas and have also expressed their desire for geographical stability and peace.
” Mr President emphasised no one would like to discover any intensification,” she told reporters after the meeting.
” China’s and Indonesia’s place are the same on this topic and Mr. President even expressed his belief that China may exert its influence to stop escalation. “
Before making his way to Cambodia and Papua New Guinea, Beijing’s top minister did finally preside over a period of the China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism on Friday.
One of Indonesia’s biggest sources of foreign direct investment is China, which has invested billions of dollars in jobs in the island.
Indonesia’s foreign coverage is usually balanced and Jakarta walks a delicate political rope in its relationships between Beijing and Washington, who are chafing over deal, Ukraine, the Middle East, Taiwan and the South China Sea.
In recent years, Chinese companies have invested money in the removal of Indonesian natural resources, especially in the metal industry, where Beijing’s paying has caused unrest over pay and working conditions.
Jakarta inaugurated Southeast Asia’s second high-speed road line last month, even a multibillion-dollar venture backed by Beijing.