Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan Held Talks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab



On May 8, Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan held talks with visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Alwi Shihab. The two sides exchanged views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.

Foreign Minister Tang pointed out that there is a good momentum at present in the Sino-Indonesian relations that forged 50 years ago. At the end of last year, Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid paid a successful visit to China, during which the two countries' top leaders reached consensus on the establishment and development of a stable and long-term good-neighborly relations characterized by mutual trust and all-round cooperation, thus setting the direction for the future development of bilateral relations. China is willing to fully cooperate with Indonesia in promoting a comprehensive and in-depth development of Sino-Indonesian relations in the new century. Foreign Minister Tang also expressed appreciation for the Indonesian government's adherence to the one-China policy and its support for China's peaceful reunification process.

Shihab agreed with Foreign Minister Tang's evaluation on the bilateral relations. He said that the new Indonesian government firmly pursues a friendly policy towards China and considers China a reliable friend. He also expressed gratitude for the support given by the Chinese government to Indonesia in international affairs and reiterated the Indonesian government's adherence to the one-China policy.

The two sides exchanged views and reached consensus on maintaining high-level visits, promoting people-to-people contacts, and enhancing cooperation in all areas. They pledged to strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs for safeguarding the common interests of developing countries.

Prior to the talks, the two sides signed a joint statement on future bilateral cooperation and a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the joint commission for developing bilateral relations.

May 9, 2000