Editorial | Xi Jinping and Joko Widodo show what world needs at times of uncertainty
- At their meeting in Beijing, the Chinese and Indonesian leaders not only strengthened relations, but also pledged cooperation and coordination on issues of concern
Chinese diplomacy is crafted with mutual benefit and cooperation in mind. But amid the geopolitical turmoil caused by the war in Ukraine, Covid-19 pandemic and disruption to trade, supply chains and food and energy supplies, top-level meetings have special meaning.
President Xi Jinping’s hosting of his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo – his first face-to-face talks with a foreign leader since the Beijing Winter Olympics in February – was therefore significant. The success of the upcoming Group of 20 summit was a key matter of discussion, along with strengthening ties with Jakarta and other governments in Southeast Asia.
Indonesia is staging the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali in November and chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year. The country is the world’s fourth most populous, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy and has the most followers of the Muslim faith.
China is its biggest trading partner and a major investor, with prominent Belt and Road Initiative projects under way. Beijing and Jakarta are further connected through being leading developing economies.
Those were good reasons for Beijing to adjust tight Covid-19 quarantine measures so that Xi, Premier Li Keqiang and other officials could host Widodo, his wife and the Indonesian delegation. The leaders vowed to boost bilateral ties, support was pledged for the G20 summit and an invitation extended to Xi, a palm oil import deal struck and a delayed high-speed rail project, finance and maritime cooperation among other issues discussed.