"President Joko Widodo once said that China is important for Indonesia. I stated, Indonesia is also very important for China," the professor noted at the Five Year of Indonesia-China Strategic and Comprehensive Cooperation seminar held here, Tuesday.
According to Wang, Indonesia is currently headed towards becoming a global power.
He pointed out that among the G20 countries, the fastest growing nations in the world are China, India, and Indonesia.
However, the media in the West rarely reports about Indonesia, although it should appear more frequently in the news, he remarked.
Wang, who also serves as executive dean of the Chongyang Financial Studies Institute, pointed out that Indonesia is dominated by a young population, with more than 50 percent of its people being under the age of 30 years.
"Developed countries are too old as compared to Indonesia," he noted, adding that 60 percent of Indonesia`s economic growth depends on domestic consumption.
To this end, Indonesia and China need to build a more strategic trust in order to realize peace and prosperity in the Pacific region, Wang remarked.
Meanwhile, Yose Rizal Damuri, head of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Economic Center, stated that despite reforms, Indonesia`s physical infrastructure was inadequate and resulted in high costs in economic activities.
Reporting by Muhammad Razi Rahman
Editing by Libertina, Suharto
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
