"We have updated mutual information, among others by planning a joint commission meeting in October this year," Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said here on Friday.
Mari made the statement to comment on the outcome of a bilateral meeting between Indonesia and China on the sidelines of ASEAN economic ministerial meeting in Manado, North Sulawesi.
She said the joint commission would meet to broadly discuss trade and investment issues, including loans for infrastructure, investment promotion, and trade balancing efforts.
"Concerning the trade balancing efforts, there has been an experts working group, so they will only report the results," Mari said after after a meeting with Chinese delegation, led by the country`s Trade Minister Chen Deming.
She said the joint commission meeting would be expected to
be a means to find solutions to overcome technical barriers in trade and investment.
Trade value between Indonesia and China increased significantly in the past five years.
According to data from Trade Ministry, the total value of trade between the two countries was recorded at US$14.98 billion in 2006 but in 2010 it rose to US$36.12 billion, while from January to May this year it reached US$17.56 billion.
But Indonesia`s trade balance with China since 2008 experienced a deficit, and the trade deficit between Indonesian and China in 2010 was recorded at US44.73 billion.
(SYS/O001)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
