Indonesia, China Hold Inaugural Meeting of Bilateral High Level Dialog in Guizhou

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, who led the Indonesian delegation, held the inaugural meeting of the Indonesia and China High-Level Dialogue on Cooperation Mechanism in Guizhou Province on Saturday, June 5.

During the meeting, Luhut was accompanied by State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara, and Deputy Health Minister Dante Saksono Herbuwono.

The meeting, among others, discussed matters on priority, trade, economic, and investment cooperation projects stated in the High-Level Dialogue on Cooperation Mechanism.

According to Luhut, the agenda of the meeting is a form of commitment from the two countries to strengthen cooperation in responding to global challenges. Both nations agreed to build mutually beneficial cooperation related to SOEs, finance, investment, health, and maritime affairs.

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Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that the two countries have reached a consensus to make full use of the new mechanism and add maritime cooperation into the existing cooperation plan which covers political, security, economics, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The maritime cooperation will cover areas such as marine scientific research, maritime search and rescue, and disaster prevention. 

On the same occasion, Erick Thohir said that in the SOE sector, Indonesia and China have made several important agreements such as making Indonesia a regional hub for vaccine production, establishing medicinal raw material factories, and research and development for herbal medicines. 

"This is certainly a positive plan. The commitment of this cooperation underscores the importance of being independent in the health sector to achieve national resilience," Erick said on Sunday, June 6.   

Erick emphasized that cooperation prioritizes the people's economy and promotes national strategic interests.

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The project will involve state-owned enterprises which will drive the development in many regions in the archipelago.

"Not only on the island of Java but also strategic development in eastern Indonesia. To reinforce maritime and fisheries sovereignty, Indonesia will build a fishing port in Ambon as part of the efforts to promote the national fish barn program," he said.

Erick also explained that the cooperation with China is also based on the similarities and equality of the two countries as partners who have the same spirit.

"In the pandemic era where all countries are affected, cooperation is the answer to jointly overcome the crisis. Moreover, the cooperation involves two major economies, namely Indonesia and China. This is a commitment and a joint effort to contribute to improving all sectors after the pandemic" he said.

(Writer: Akhdi Martin Pratama | Editor: Akhdi Martin Pratama)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/06/06/091000426/bertemu-pemerintah-china-apa-yang-dibahas-luhut-dan-erick-thohir-.