"On this good opportunity I would like to make use of the occasion of attending the summit meeting here of Belt and Road Forum this week to create a fresh momentum mainly for Chinese-Indonesian cooperation in the framework of One Belt One Road (OBOR)," Jokowi said at the meeting with Xi Jinping at the building of Great Hall of the People, here.
Jokowi was at the head of a strong delegation of 11 cabinet ministers who take active participation in the summit meeting on New Silk Road cooperation.
He said he hoped the Belt and Road Initiative could strengthen economic cooperation between Indonesia and China .
"In this connection I would like to specially invite the government of President Xi to cooperate with the Indonesian government in three mega projects," he said.
The mega projects Jokowi referred to are integrated economic corridor, connectivity, industry and tourism in North Sumatra such as Kuala Tanjung port facilities and access road from Medan up to Sibolga, highway and railway infrastructure of Bitung-Manado-Gorontalo and seaport and airport in North Sulawesi, and energy project including power generating plant in North Kalimantan.
At the meeting, Jokowi and Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of three agreements between the two countries - first on implementation of comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries in 2017-2021 signed by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, second on economic and technical cooperation signed by Minister for National Development Planning Bambang Brodjonegoro and his Chinese Trade Minister Zhong Shan, and the third on cooperation in facility of Jakarta-Bandung speed railway project signed by Chief Executive of PT KCIC Hanggoro and Chief Executive China National Development Bank Hu Huaibang with cooperation commitment of US$4.498 billion.
In the morning on the day, Jokowi attended the opening of Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held at the China National Convention Center (CNCC), Beijing.
Among the cabinet ministers accompanying Jokowi to the forum include Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, and Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi.
OBOR was first unveiled by President Xi Jinping in 2013, with the aim of connecting 65 countries across three continents to China. The initiative seeks to promote economic co-operation among countries along the land and sea routes.
The OBOR initiative aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe over land through Europe-Asia continental roads, and sea routes through South China Sea and Indian Ocean. The ambitious plan aims to connect an estimated 4.4 billion people across these regions through building infrastructure and boosting financial and trade ties for the countries that lie along the routes. Connectivity is core to the OBOR initiative, with promising benefits for many countries.
In Southeast Asia, China wants to develop infrastructure along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road to improve connectivity with China.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
