BEIJING (Reuters) -China and Indonesia have agreed to strengthen cooperation in key sectors, including lithium, new energy vehicles, green energy and tourism, according to a joint statement released on Saturday.
The statement followed a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, who is visiting China through November 10, the first country he has visited since taking office last month.
“China and Indonesia will work together to cultivate new drivers of global development, exploring cooperation potential in areas such as new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaics, while seizing opportunities in digital economy and green development sectors,” the statement said.
Both nations will strengthen the global energy transition partnership and jointly ensure the security of global mineral supply and industrial chains, it added.
On Sunday, Chinese battery materials producer GEM signed a deal with PT Vale Indonesia to build a high-pressure acid leaching plant in Central Sulawesi, to secure nickel resources, a Shenzhen filing showed. Prabowo witnessed the signing.
The nickel industry in Indonesia, the world’s largest producer of the metal, is dominated by Chinese companies like Tsingshan Holding Group and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt.
In efforts to revive and surpass pre-pandemic tourism levels, the two countries will introduce new visa measures, including multi-entry long-term visas, and encourage more direct flights and destinations based on demand.
During Prabowo’s visit, both sides signed several cooperation deals, including in housing and the export of fresh coconuts from Indonesia to China.
