He made the remarks while attending the first 2+2 ministerial meeting between Indonesia and China in Beijing on Monday.
"Indonesia is enhancing cooperation in the context of a comprehensive and strategic partnership with the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the defense sector," he said, according to an official press release received from his media team by ANTARA on Monday.
At the meeting, Sjamsoeddin and Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun discussed various defense cooperation schemes that can be established by the two countries.
The cooperation models include conducting joint military exercises, strengthening the main weapons system, and collaborating in the defense industry.
The two ministers also discussed several crucial issues that could have an impact on efforts to strengthen bilateral relations.
During the meeting, Sjamsoeddin expressed the hope that defense cooperation between the two countries would be realized and bilateral relations would continue to be maintained well.
"We hope this dialogue can result in concrete measures that bolster strategic cooperation between Indonesia and the PRC," he said.
Monday's meeting was also attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.
Earlier, on January 22, 2025, Sjamsoeddin held talks with the Chinese defense minister to explore avenues for bilateral military cooperation, including technology transfers and enhanced soldier-to-soldier engagement.
During the administration of the seventh president, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), then-foreign minister Retno Marsudi maintained close coordination with China through five rounds of the Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC).
The most recent JCBC session on August 24, 2024, was attended by Marsudi and Wang.
On that occasion, Marsudi assured China that Jakarta will continue to strengthen ties with Beijing following the power transition from Widodo to Prabowo Subianto, who was inaugurated as president in October 2024.
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Translator: Walda Marison, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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