Menko Luhut Asserts Strengthening RI - China Cooperation in the 4th HDCM Meeting

Jakarta, INTI - Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara - The Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment (Menko Marves), Luhut B. Pandjaitan, ensured that the cooperation between Indonesia and China would further strengthen in line with the upcoming government period. He conveyed this during the 4th High Level Dialogue and Cooperation Mechanism (HDCM) between RI - China in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, on Friday (19-04-2024).

"Indonesia successfully held the simultaneous general elections in February 2024. I am confident that in the next government period, Indonesia will ensure the continuity of President Joko Widodo's policies and continue the strong friendship and constructive cooperation between Indonesia and China," said Minister Luhut opening the event.

Attended by the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China (Chinese FM) Wang Yi, Minister Luhut expressed his belief that Indonesia-China relations would further strengthen and stabilize in the future by emphasizing the principles of mutual trust, respect, and mutual benefit.

"I believe that under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, China will achieve high-quality modernization, and on this occasion, I emphasize the HDCM's position as the epicenter of the comprehensive strategic partnership's sustainability and the framework of GMF - BRI cooperation," he clarified.

Regarding the synergy of GMF - BRI cooperation (Global Maritime Fulcrum-Belt and Road Initiative), such as the Jakarta - Bandung High-Speed Train, which has successfully operated commercially on October 17, 2023, with an average of 15,000 passengers per day in the last three months, continually increasing. At the peak of the Eid holiday rush, it reached 21,422 passengers, up 34%.

"This project is a success of GMF - BRI synergy that should be continued to Surabaya. Therefore, I hope that the Chinese government, China Development Bank (CDB), and China Railway will continue to provide priority attention and financial support, as well as technology transfer for the operation of the Jakarta - Bandung High-Speed Train. We propose the establishment of a Joint Task Force for project acceleration," explained Minister Luhut.

In addition to the Jakarta - Bandung High-Speed Train, Minister Luhut also appreciated China's continuous support for Indonesia's progress in energy transition, industrialization, and mineral downstreaming.

"We appreciate Chinese companies that continue to increase local content in Indonesia such as BYD (Build Your Dream) electric vehicles and Wuling, whose products are highly favored by the Indonesian people. The Indonesian government is committed to providing incentives and supportive policies for strategic industries such as Petrochemical investments in North Kalimantan (Kaltara). We hope the Kaltara project can be realized starting from the middle of this year. As we discussed yesterday, we are open to inviting investors from other countries to jointly develop this strategic project," he elaborated.

Various discussions were also conveyed in this meeting such as Agriculture, Maritime Affairs, Food Security, Health, Talents, and Education, which will then be further discussed for better cooperation in the future. Not only that, Minister Luhut also invited Foreign Minister Wang Yi to the World Water Forum (WWF) 2024, which will be held next May, and the Indonesia International Sustainability Forum (ISF) 2024 in September.

"Our meeting today was very productive and efficient. I am confident that the visit of Mr. Wang Yi and the delegation this time will not only benefit the two countries but also increase the Happiness Index for all Delegates," concluded Minister Luhut.

In response to Minister Luhut, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that they were very happy to cooperate with Indonesia and hoped that this cooperation would be even better and closer in the future.

In this meeting, Minister Luhut was accompanied by Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, Head of the Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Kabarantin) Sahat Manaor Panggabean, Indonesian Ambassador to China Mr. Djauhari Oratmangun, as well as the Secretary of the Marves Coordinating Ministry and Secretary-General of HDCM Ayodhia G. L. Kalake, and other officials.