Premier calls for a bigger role for Indonesia in Belt and Road Initiative

China would like to increase high-level exchanges with Indonesia and enhance alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative with the Southeast Asian country’s development strategies, Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday.

The premier expressed his wishes when he met with Luhut Binsar Panjaitan, the Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s special envoy and coordinating minister for maritime affairs, in Beijing.

The premier said China and Indonesia share common interests and this year marks the fifth anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership forged by the two countries.

The premier said that China is also willing to promote cooperation in infrastructure, investment, and production capacity based on each other’s complementary advantages, to benefit both peoples and contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Luhut said he aimed to promote alignment of Indonesia’s regional comprehensive economic corridor with the Belt and Road Initiative and deepen pragmatic cooperation to achieve win-win outcomes.

Luhut also invited the premier to visit Indonesia to further boost bilateral ties.