"A lack of infrastructure facilities in Indonesia has frequently posed a hindrance to our economic growth," assistant to the trade minister Muchtar said at a meeting with the Guang Xi governor here on Friday.
The meeting followed the opening by Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao of the 8th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO 2011) on October 21-26, 2011 and the 8th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS).
Muchtar expressed hope that Chinese investors who had a lot of experience in developing pioneer projects in many parts of the world would be ready to do the same in Indonesia and in return, the Indonesian government would certainly provide them with various facilities.
A number of ASEAN leaders including Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Myanmarese Vice President Tin Aung, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat,
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Kittirat Na-Ranong, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan attended the opening ceremony.
Some Indonesian entrepreneurs are taking part in the expo displaying a wide range of products, while West Papua Province represents Indonesia as a sympathetic province, along with provinces from other ASEAN member states.
In his address Prime Minister Jiabao noted that the ever increasingly closer relations had marked 20 years of China-ASEAN dialogs while partnership dialogs between both sides had evolved into strategic partnership.
"ASEAN-China friendship has resulted in win-win outcomes which give extraordinary benefit to the peoples of both sides," he said.
Data show trade between China and ASEAN member states increased sharply to US$231 billion in 2010 from US$8 billion in 1991, while two-way trade between China and Indonesia rose 22 times to US$42.7 billion from US$1.9 billion. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
