"Indonesia and China have strong common interests," MUI head of foreign relations Muhyidin Junaedi said after the meeting on Tuesday in an e-mail to ANTARA here on Thursday.
He said as countries actively involved in the Non-Aligned Movement, Indonesia and China had common views in dealing with various regional and international challenges and issues,
Wan Chou An meanwhile said his government had been committed to continuing to build good relations with Indonesia whose population is mostly Muslim.
The history of friendship between Indonesia and China, he said, had been very long marked by recent visit by the China Islamic Association delegation including an art troupe that had performed a Chinese cultural show in Indonesia in July, 2010, and received a positive response from the country`s Muslims.
"This is proof that we have a strong interest in developing good relations with Muslims in Indonesia," he said.
He said although Muslims in China were minority the government did not differentiate its service to them referring to holidays given to Muslims during Islam holy days.
He said Muslims in China had also been given freedom in the deceased care-taking and only Muslims are allowed to use state land for their cemetery.
He said there are five religions recognized by the Chinese government, namely, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Christian and Catholicism.
Islam meanwhile is followed by minimally 10 tribes who live together with 45 others in China. The number of Muslims in China reaches 21 millions spreading in various regions.
The number of Islamic leaders meanwhile totals 45,000 managing 35 mosques and 10 boarding schools, he said.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2012
