By Shannon Tiezzi
Beijing and Jakarta promote maritime cooperation, despite differences over how to handle the South China Sea issue.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Indonesia on Sunday and Monday, his first trip to the country since the inauguration of president Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Wang’s meetings with Jokowi and new Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi helped set the tone for China-Indonesia relations during the newly installed Jokowi administration.
Based on Wang’s visit, all signs indicate that Jokowi will seek to boost China-Indonesia cooperation. China is on board as well — Wang Yi called Indonesia a “diplomatic priority for China” and a central part of China’s neighborhood diplomacy (which always tops Beijing’s foreign policy agenda).
Most significantly, in terms of solid outcomes, Jokowi told Wang that Indonesia supports the establishment of the Chinese-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). As Zach reported last week, Indonesia (along with South Korea and Australia) was one of several major Asia-Pacific countries not to sign on to the AIIB at its official launch. However, Indonesia’s absence from the AIIB launch was attributed not to political reticence but to timing. Jokowi was only inaugurated as president on October 20; that did not give his administration enough time to consider the AIIB proposal.
Read the full story at The Diplomat