Chinese, Indonesian leaders exchange congratulations on 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties

BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages on Monday with his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Indonesia diplomatic relations.

Noting that the friendly exchanges between China and Indonesia boast a long history, Xi said bilateral relations have made great progress since the establishment of diplomatic ties.

In recent years, in particular, Xi said, the two countries have continuously lifted their relations, expanded the areas of cooperation, achieved fruitful results from Belt and Road cooperation, and worked closely on international and regional affairs, bringing benefits to the two peoples and contributing to regional and global prosperity and stability.

China and Indonesia share broad common interests at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels and enjoy tremendous potential for cooperation, Xi said, adding that China will continue to work with Indonesia to prevail over the COVID-19 epidemic.

Xi said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Indonesia relations and stands ready to work with Widodo to enrich the China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership and add new impetus to regional development.

For his part, Widodo said that Indonesia and China possess longtime historic and cultural ties, while close contacts between the leaders of the two countries and between the people of various sectors have forged a solid friendship.

Over the past 70 years, bilateral ties have matured day by day, which is a remarkable strategic achievement of both sides, he said, adding that the two countries have continuously created cooperation opportunities in various fields, benefiting the two peoples and deserving the pride of both sides.

Within the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership and upholding the spirit of cooperation, the two sides will surely bolster the continuous progress and prosperity of the two countries and contribute to regional and global peace, stability and prosperity, said the Indonesian president.