Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao smiled when he entered the room, proclaiming, as he sat for an interview, that China’s bond with Indonesia was long and deeply rooted in history, with emerging China committed to forging even stronger ties.
“I came to know a country by the name of Indonesia when I was a kid, and even when I was very young I could hum some famous Indonesian folk songs, including Ayo Mama and Rasa Sayange,” he said through an interpreter.
Asked whether he could still remember the songs, the prime mi-nister, the third-most powerful person in China who oversees 1.3 billion people on a daily basis, laughed and said, “I can still hum the songs, and maybe if we have some time later I can sing them to you,” as journalists and Chinese officials in the room burst into laughter.
He then deftly explained some of the big episodes in relations between China and Indonesia, starting with the coming of Chinese historian Fa Hien centuries ago, to 1955’s Bandung Conference and on to today.
As China rises in power and influence in the world, Wen, who arrives in Jakarta on Thursday for a three-day visit to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and cement ties in various sectors, tried to convince countries in the region that the second-biggest economy was not a threat economically or geopolitically to anyone.
“China’s progress benefits the region, and we assure that we have the obligation to maintain peace, security and stability in the region. We are still a developing country, but even if we grow into a developed country, we will not seek a hegemony,” he said.
He said, despite territorial disputes, such as that in the South China Sea, China would maintain a policy of peaceful coexistence in the region and seek dialogue to solve problems.
Wen, however, underlined that the South China Sea dispute should be solved bilaterally, as multilateral dialogue would only complicate the issue.
The prime minister then emphasized the need to continue developing trust between the leaders and people of Indonesia and China and the 10 ASEAN countries to further strengthen relations.
“I believe our relations have resulted in concrete benefits for people of Indonesia and China as well, and people of ASEAN,” he said.
Regarding the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), Wen said that, since the launch of the agreement, trade between the two sides continued to surge rapidly, with China-Indonesia trade jumping 50 percent in the first three months, compared to the same period last year.
“Our relations have been based on mutual respect and benefits. I would like to use the opportunity to clear some concerns of the ACFTA, as I do believe this agreement brings benefits to both sides,”
On the inclusion of the United States and Russia to the East Asia Summit, he said that ASEAN should continue to play the leading role in East Asian cooperation, urging the cooperation to remain open and drive for integration in the region.
“Leaders of the US and Russia will attend the East Asia Summit for the first time this year. I believe that the summit should stick to its nature as leaders’ lead initiatives,” he said.
