BEIJING (Reuters): China and Indonesia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in key sectors, including lithium, new energy vehicles, green energy and tourism, according to a joint statement released late on Saturday.
The statement followed a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who is visiting China through Sunday, the first country he has visited since taking office last month.
Prabowo, who won Indonesia's presidential election in February, also chose China as the first country to visit as president elect, underscoring Jakarta's commitment to strengthening its strategic ties with Beijing.
"China and Indonesia will work together to cultivate new drivers of global development, exploring cooperation potential in areas such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics, while seizing opportunities in digital economy and green development sectors," the statement said.
Both nations also plan to collaborate more closely in the mining sector, leveraging their respective resource endowments and production capacities.
In efforts to revive and surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels, the two countries will introduce new visa measures, including multi-entry long-term visas, and encourage more direct flights and destinations based on demand.
During Prabowo's visit, both sides signed several cooperation deals, including in housing and the export of fresh coconuts from Indonesia to China.
(Reporting by Ella Cao in Beijing and Marius Zaharia in Hong Kong; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) - Reuters
