Government and Policy

Full text of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao's speech at Balai Kartini of Indonesia

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-05-01 13:49

My visit this time is a journey of friendship and cooperation. It is also aimed at planning for the future. Yesterday, I had comprehensive and in-depth talks with President Yudhoyono. We reached important agreement and decided to further strengthen China-Indonesia strategic partnership. The two sides released a joint communique and signed several inter-governmental cooperation documents. President Yudhoyono and I set the new target of raising two-day trade to 80 billion U.S. dollars by 2015. Later today, the two sides will sign economic and trade agreements worth about 10 billion U.S. dollars. The Chinese side announced the decision to provide 1 billion U.S. dollars of preferential export buyer's credit and 8 billion U.S. dollars of credit line to support Indonesia in developing its infrastructure and priority industries. We decided to step up cooperation in mineral resources and clean energy and expand collaboration on maritime research and fishery. Indonesia plays an important role in affairs related to the Malacca Strait. China will enhance coordination with Indonesia and provide support in this regard. The aforementioned projects, agreed amidst the continuing impact of the international financial crisis, are bound to lend strong impetus to our endeavors to sustain the good economic momentum and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. They will raise our strategic partnership to a new high.

Being in Indonesia, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Bandung spirit. On my flight to Jakarta, I could not help but recall that during my visit to Indonesia 16 years ago, I made a special trip to the venues of the Bandung Conference to pay my respects. In 1955, Premier Zhou Enlai, on behalf of the new People's Republic, came to Indonesia in defiance of danger and difficulty, and initiated, together with leaders of other Asian and African countries, the Bandung spirit, a spirit that is still highly relevant today. The Bandung Conference left us a most valuable legacy. Seeking common ground while shelving differences and embracing peaceful coexistence are the core of the Bandung spirit and they remain the guiding principle for handling state-to-state relations today. We must hold dear and carry forward the ever-lasting Bandung spirit.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Indonesia, being the largest country in ASEAN, has played a key role at many defining moments in ASEAN's development and made outstanding contribution to a stronger ASEAN through unity. As ASEAN's good partner, China highly commends Indonesia's efforts and rejoices at ASEAN's achievements.

All-round East Asian cooperation came into being in the wake of the Asian financial crisis in 1997. Today, in the face of the international financial crisis, China and ASEAN will further strengthen their relations, setting yet another example of mutual assistance and cooperation between developing countries. Under the principles of consensus, responsibility sharing and non-interference, ASEAN has promoted regional political stability, economic growth, and social progress in the ASEAN way. This is in keeping with the trend of peace, development, and cooperation of our time. It is a successful approach with has had an important and positive impact internationally. The ASEAN Charter has set the goal of establishing the ASEAN Political-Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community by 2015. We have every confidence that ASEAN will enjoy greater cohesion, influence and competitiveness and we look forward to the day when the goal becomes a reality.

China has all along supported a stronger ASEAN through unity. We highly value and have worked actively to promote our relations with ASEAN. China was the first country to establish the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity with ASEAN and the first big country outside the region to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. We were also the first country to launch the FTA negotiation with ASEAN, and together, we have put in place the largest FTA among developing countries. All these endeavors accord with the trend of economic globalization and regional integration. They serve the interests of all ASEAN countries and China.

At the 7th China-ASEAN summit held in Bali in 2003, I stated China's commitment to a policy of securing an amicable, tranquil and prosperous neighborhood. Eight years on, people can see that China has kept its word. And China will remain committed to this policy no matter what changes may take place in the international landscape.

-- China firmly supports ASEAN's leading role in regional cooperation. Over the years, ASEAN has developed its principles and practices of regional cooperation in keeping with the realities of East Asia. These principles and practices have proved effective and mature and should and must be followed. The existing regional cooperation mechanisms in East Asia, including 10+1, 10+3 and the East Asia Summit, should always develop with the "10" or ASEAN in the driver's seat. East Asian cooperation will enjoy sound development only if ASEAN continues to play its leading role. China's position on this issue is steadfast.

-- China is committed to deepening practical cooperation with ASEAN. Last year, China became ASEAN's biggest trading partner. We launched the largest FTA among developing countries. And we have set the target of 500 billion U.S. dollars in two-way trade by 2015. The Chinese government will continue to increase imports of competitive products from Southeast Asian countries and encourage Chinese companies to invest in ASEAN countries with a view to expanding our common interests. In the next 10 years, we will speed up the realization of land transport connectivity between China and ASEAN countries and provide financial support to road, rail, communication, electricity and other infrastructure development in ASEAN countries through bilateral aid and loans, the China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund, commercial loans and other means. At the same time, we will, in the light of ASEAN's needs, increase input into maritime and air connectivity and take steady steps to promote facilitation and standardization of related areas in a bid to create better conditions for the free flow of goods, capital and information, people-to-people exchanges, and economic and social development in this region. Time will tell that the decision to set up the China-ASEAN FTA is one of strategic vision and will bring greater benefits to the businesses and people of both sides.