Indonesian leader Widodo’s emphasis on development boosts China ties
Continuing a series of stories on China’s relations with other G20 members ahead of next month’s summit in Hangzhou, the South China Morning Post examines the connection between President Xi Jinping and Indonesian leader Joko Widodo
Boosting economic ties with China will top Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s agenda at the G20 summit in Hangzhou in September rather than wider Southeast Asian concerns about issues such as territorial disputes in the South China Sea, analysts say.
He will be seeking to build on commitments to economic and trade cooperation announced following a meeting with President Xi Jinping at last year’s G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey.
Jokowi regards China as an important partner, particularly in terms of infrastructure investment
Widodo and Xi have a lot in common as the leaders of populous developing nations with bad reputations for corruption. The Indonesian leader is a former entrepreneur and governor of Jakarta who rose from a humble background to the top office in 2014 on a wave of public support for his promises of reform and reputation as a down-to-earth, clean politician. Xi is also known for his reformist agenda and an unprecedented crackdown on graft.
“Jokowi (Widodo’s nickname) seems to have a lot of respect for Xi as somebody who is a can-do reformer, which is how Jokowi views himself ... and they both focus on development,” said Aaron Connelly, a research fellow and Indonesian affairs specialist at the Lowy Institute for International Policy in Sydney.
Indonesia, which sees itself as a rising power in the region, is looking to China for inspiration as it strives to accelerate economic growth.