"We are ready to intensify cooperation in the trade and economic fields with Indonesia," Li Jian, the Deputy Director General of the Guangdong Provincial Administration`s Foreign Affairs Office, told several Indonesian journalists here, Monday.
The two-way trade between Guangdong and Indonesia reached 12.4 billion US dollars last year. Guangdong`s imports from Indonesia include oil palm.
He invited Indonesian businessmen to participate in a number of trade and economic exhibitions in Guangdong, which regularly organizes among other things China Import and Export Fair, also known as Canton Fair.
The 111th Canton Fair will take place this year from April 15 to 19 and again from May 1 to 5, in Guangzhou. Last year, around 530 companies from 49 countries took part in the exhibition.
He said quite many Guangdong tourists visited Indonesia because geographically the Chinese province is not far from Indonesia. They like seafood which is plenty in Indonesia, historically quite many Guangdong people had moved to Indonesia in the past, and Indonesia has beautiful scenery. At least 4.9 million Guangdong people made overseas visits last year.
Li believed that the upcoming state visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Beijing, China, on March 22-24, will strengthen the bilateral relations of the two countries, in particular in trade, economic and investment fields.
The Guangdong provincial government also offers cooperation in the agricultural sector with Indonesia, especially in seed and fruit cultivation..
Guangdong, which has total population of around 100 million, has established sister city ties with North Sumatra Province, and once forged close cooperation with West Kalimantan. Its capital city, Guangzhou, has sister city cooperation with Surabaya, East Java. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
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