China’s President Xi Jinping will hold talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Beijing on Tuesday, the Chinese foreign ministry said, as the two countries deepen their strategic partnership amid U.S.-China tensions..
Xi and Widodo will hold talks and witness the signing of cooperation documents, ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing on Monday..
Wang did not give further details..
The meeting comes as China and Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, have been stepping up cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, infrastructure and defense..
In September, the two countries agreed to establish a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest level of diplomatic relations..
China is Indonesia’s biggest trading partner, while Indonesia is China’s second-largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)..
The meeting will also take place amid heightened tensions between the United States and China, particularly over Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory..
Indonesia, which is not a formal U.S. ally, has sought to maintain a neutral stance on the Taiwan issue..
However, it has also expressed concern over China’s increasingly assertive behavior in the South China Sea, where both countries have overlapping claims..
In July, Indonesia and China agreed to set up a hotline to prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations in the South China Sea..
The meeting between Xi and Widodo is expected to cover a wide range of issues, including bilateral cooperation, regional security and the global economy..
It is also likely to touch on the ongoing tensions between the United States and China..
Indonesia is currently the chair of ASEAN and is expected to play a key role in managing relations between the United States and China in the region..
