China's Sichuan Province, Indonesia pledge to strengthen economic ties

JAKARTA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Representatives from Indonesia and China's Sichuan Province have exchanged information regarding their respective potential resources for enhancing economic and trade ties at a trade conference here.

Secretary of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China Wang Xiaohui said on Monday in the Indonesian capital that Sichuan has advantages in developing sectors ranging from food, pharmaceuticals, and batteries to clean energy. The potentials of Sichuan and Indonesia complement each other in some aspects, so there are hopes for building win-win cooperation.

Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan noted that Indonesia, the fourth most populous in the world, has a wealth of potential natural resources, especially nickel, which is currently being promoted as a priority industry.

"China is Indonesia's number one trade partner, and our economic ties are getting stronger," Pandjaitan added.

Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang also gave a speech at the event, expressing his hope for closer economic and trade cooperation between the southwestern Chinese province and Indonesia.

The two sides signed cooperation agreements on coal mines and food processing.