Xi, Widodo vow to take ties to new level

China will welcome the imports of more quality products from Indonesia and will encourage more Chinese businesses to take part in the building of major infrastructure projects in the nation, including the country's new capital and the green industrial park in the province of North Kalimantan, Xi said.

The two sides should expand cooperation on the digital economy and green development, he added.

The president also called on the two nations, both major developing countries and emerging markets, to uphold true multilateralism and focus on key sectors including poverty alleviation, food security and development financing to build landmark projects of the Global Development Initiative.

Both sides should contribute to stronger, green and healthy global development and promote global governance that is more just and equitable, Xi said.

He expressed support for Indonesia's holding of the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year, saying that the two countries should focus on development and cooperation, promote the building of a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, and forge an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Widodo began the talks by calling Xi "my big brother" and again congratulated Xi on his reelection as general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Indonesia appreciates the bilateral cooperation on the research, development and production of COVID-19 vaccines, and stands ready to step up cooperation in healthcare, he said.

Widodo expressed hope that the two nations can deepen strategic and pragmatic cooperation and jointly build a bilateral community with a shared future, adding that Indonesia stands ready to proactively promote friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and China.

Witnessed by Xi and Widodo, the two sides signed cooperation documents including an action plan to bolster the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership (2022-26) as well as plans on Belt and Road cooperation, industrial vocational training, the digital economy and expansion of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China has been the largest trading partner of Indonesia for nine consecutive years and the largest destination of Indonesian exports for six consecutive years.

Trade between the two nations surged 30.2 percent year-on-year in the first nine months of this year, reaching 721.1 billion yuan ($101.7 billion), according to the General Administration of Customs. Bilateral trade rose to $124.4 billion in 2021, increasing nearly 60 percent year-on-year.