The Year of Tiger and RI-China relation

Zhang Qiyue, Jakarta, Fri, 02/12/2010 10:19 AM, Opinion

The Year of Golden Tiger is due to arrive on Feb. 14. Strolling around the town, I saw many shopping malls in Jakarta decorated with red lanterns, tiger cub toys, peach blossoms and other traditional decorations for the Chinese New Year, adding to the festive atmosphere in this tropical country.

The Chinese New Year celebrations have long been part of the local tradition, a true reflection of cultural diversity in Indonesia. As a matter of fact, cultural and trade exchanges between China and Indonesia could be traced back to ancient times.

The ceramics from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) of China displayed in the National Museum of Indonesia and the Javanese golden bracelets found in China, together with many other archaeological findings, witnessed the long history of friendly interactions between our two peoples.

This year has been designated as the “Year of China-Indonesia Friendship”, as it marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Indonesia.

Sixty years ago, Indonesia was one of the first countries to forge diplomatic relations with the New China.

The friendship and support from Indonesia, especially on the international arena, was cherished deeply by the Chinese people.

Our relationship turned cold in the context of the Cold War.

However, once back on track in 1990, it moved so fast that today the existence of those “gap years” was hardly felt. In 2005, China and Indonesia established the strategic partnership, ushering in a new chapter in our bilateral cooperation.

China and Indonesia are friendly neighbors who share many things in common. Close to each other in geography and culture, China and Indonesia are both multi-ethnic countries with diverse cultures.

We both carry with us such Asian values as seeking harmony and showing full respect to each other, and the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika or unity in diversity can find its equivalent in the Chinese culture.

Our two countries cherish hard-won national independence and have achieved remarkable progress in the nation building.

As two major developing countries, China and Indonesia are now standing at the important juncture of national development, facing common opportunities and challenges, which require us to work together even more closely.

When the world economy is still overshadowed by the global financial crisis, both of our countries recorded a positive economic growth in the past year.

The two countries are now both members of major international institutions, including the UN, G20, APEC and East Asia cooperation mechanisms. With our joint efforts, we could contribute immensely to the development and progress of the whole region.

As two emerging Asian countries, China and Indonesia share much common ground and have identical or similar views on many regional and international issues.

China and Indonesia are good development partners with huge potentials for cooperation. Since 2001, the bilateral trade between China and Indonesia has enjoyed an annual average growth rate of 20 percent. In 2008, the overall trade volume reached US$31.5 billion.

According to the Central Statistics Agency of Indonesia, China has now become the largest import origin and the third largest export destination for Indonesia. The exports from Indonesia to China last December alone stood at as much as $1.7 billion, a 107.1 percent increase from the same period in 2008.

The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) has created new business opportunities for both countries.

More Chinese enterprises, striving for win-win cooperation through joint development, are increasing their investment in Indonesia which has created thousands of local jobs.

Today, the Chinese companies are actively involved in building power plants, dams and bridges in Indonesia, helping to improve the business environment and bringing tangible benefits to the Indonesian people.

China’s rapid growth should be seen as a huge opportunity as more and more Indonesian commodities are entering China, the largest and fastest growing market of the world. Indonesian consumers will benefit from greater varieties, better quality and cheaper price of many products.

At the same time, the Indonesian industries will be able to import machines and equipment highly needed to upgrade their production capabilities at about one third of the cost before, thus strengthening their competitiveness.

Thanks to the tariff reductions, more than 93 percent of the Indonesian exports to China are enjoying zero tariffs. If the tropical fruits from Indonesia, like salak, rambutan and alpukat become part of the daily diet for the 1.3 billion Chinese people, the Indonesian farmers would have no worries.

China and Indonesia are true friends in need. When the tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004, the Chinese medical team was one of the first international rescue teams to arrive in Aceh.

After the catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan in 2008, the Indonesian medical team offered great assistance in rescue and recovery work in the disaster-stricken area, which the Chinese people will always remember with appreciation. Disasters destroyed our homes but our hearts were brought closer together.

The people-to-people relations are also getting closer. Thousands of young talents from Indonesia have chosen China as their destination for further study; and an increasing number of Chinese students have also come to study in Indonesia.

In 2008, more than 130,000 Chinese tourists visited Bali, one of the favorite destinations for the Chinese honeymooners, a 56 percent growth from the previous year.

It is always a memorable experience for the Chinese tourists to hear the Chinese pop songs on the Jimbaran Beach. At the same time, the melody of Ayo Mama and Sing Sing So are familiar tunes to the Chinese public. During my one and half years here as the Chinese Ambassador, I am always happily surprised to hear my Indonesian friends greeting me in perfect Mandarin.

This year, as the “Year of China-Indonesia Friendship” proceeds, a series of celebration events, including art exhibitions, cultural performances and seminars will be held in China and Indonesia respectively. The Indonesian people are warmly invited to participate in these events and share the joyful moment.

We have good reasons to celebrate the remarkable progress in our bilateral relations over the past 60 years. Sixty years is regarded as one full cycle in the lifespan of a man, so now it is time to start a new cycle of friendship between our two nations.

I firmly believe that the China-Indonesia strategic partnership will be greatly enhanced through our joint efforts and people of our two countries will become even closer friends, sisters and brothers.

In our tradition, the tiger symbolizes courage, dynamism and vitality. On the eve of the Year of Golden Tiger, I would like to wish all Indonesian people greater success and prosperity.

Happy Chinese New Year, Indonesia.

The writer is Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia.