JAKARTA, (Xinhua) -- China was one of the main markets for Indonesian rubber besides the United States, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Germany and Canada, an executive with the rubber association said Monday.

"China's demand for Indonesian rubber has been on the rise since 2001," executive director of the Indonesian Rubber Association (Gapkindo) Suharto Honggokusumo was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

Indonesia's rubber exports to China continued to increase over the past three years.

Rubber exports to China rose to 250,000 tons in 2005 from 198, 000 tons a year earlier.

"The huge population and high economic growth makes China a new giant and Indonesia must benefit from the potential," he said.

Actually, China was also a rubber producer but its rubber output fell short of growing domestic consumption, forcing it to import large quantities of the commodity, he said.

China was listed as the third biggest market for Indonesian rubber in 2005 after the United States and Japan.

Indonesia's rubber-based product export rose by 3 percent to 2. 53 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of 2006 compared with the same period last year. Rubber export volume also increased by 4.76 percent to 1.1 million tons.

The Gapkindo has targeted full year rubber export at 2 million tons worth 4.4 billion dollars in 2006.