Widodo hopes China to build Indonesia into an Asia production base

Indonesia's President Joko Widodo leads a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, March 4, 2015, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. [Photo/Agencies]

JAKAKRTA - Indonesian President Joko Widodo hoped Monday that China will build Indonesia into an Asian production base with ever increasing economic cooperation between the two countries.

Widodo expressed his hope during his meeting here with the visiting Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People' s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Yu Zhengsheng, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting between Widodo and Yu, Marsudi said that China's increasing overseas investment makes it possible to have more factories built in Indonesia.

"The Indonesia President has expressed his hope that the targets of the economic cooperation between the two countries to be met."Marsudi said.

According to the minister, Indonesia and China has proposed to expand the two-way trade and mutual visits to reach targets of 150 billion U.S. dollars and 10 million respectively before 2020.

Marsudi said that Widodo hopes to further promote the cooperation between the two countries'consultative bodies as it will support the efforts to achieve the economic cooperation targets.

Yu responded positively to Widodo's comment, and said China regarded Indonesia as an important partner in Asia, according the foreign minister.

Widodo and Yu agreed that the two countries will strengthen cooperation in the field of maritime infrastructure, power supply, people-to-people contact as well as the state-owned companies of the two countries, Marsudi added.

Yu arrived in Indonesia Saturday on the second-stop of his tour after Thailand.