New chapter being written in seeking strength through unity

President Xi Jinping held talks with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Beijing on Saturday. Prabowo visited China as his first overseas trip right after he was elected in March and chose China as the first country to visit after taking office, demonstrating the great importance he attaches to developing relations with China and the high level and strategic nature of China-Indonesia relations.

The strengthening of mutual trust, mutual assistance and win-win cooperation represents the direction that should be followed to ensure the sustained and stable development of bilateral relations in the future. As Xi told the Indonesian leader, China is willing to work with the new Indonesian government to build on past achievements, and promote the building of a community with a shared future. It is heartening to hear Prabowo not only warmly echo Xi in those regards but also express Indonesia's commitment to an independent and nonaligned foreign policy.

To that end, the two countries need to strengthen high-level exchanges and cooperation between their governments, legislatures and localities, and firmly support each other in safeguarding core interests and major concerns and exploring a path of modernization that suits their national conditions.

They can unleash the potential in further improving the strategic cooperation layout, promoting political, economic, cultural, maritime and security cooperation and adhering to the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road. They should strengthen cooperation in the fields of the digital economy, advanced manufacturing, and the circular economy, and carry out cooperation in joint development at sea.

China is willing to work with Indonesia to create more people-friendly projects, strengthen exchanges and cooperation in poverty reduction, medicine, food planting and fisheries, provide support for Indonesia's scientific research talent training and vocational education development, and facilitate personnel exchanges.

China and Indonesia should jointly promote Asian values with peace, cooperation, inclusiveness and integration at the core, give new contemporary connotations to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, and promote global governance in a more just and reasonable direction.