China’s Xi Jinping praises outgoing Indonesian president for strengthening ties

By Efe Ozkan and Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - In what may be their last direct conversation before Indonesian President Joko Widodo leaves office, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday commended the outgoing leader for his role in deepening bilateral ties between China and Indonesia.

Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, is set to step down on Oct. 20 after a decade as president of Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy.

During the phone call, Xi expressed gratitude for Jokowi’s efforts to strengthen China-Indonesia relations, noting that China highly values his contributions. Xi added that he is confident the incoming Indonesian government will continue to build on this partnership, aiming for a “China-Indonesia community with a shared future.”

Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s current defense minister, was elected earlier this year and is set to succeed Jokowi as president.

Jokowi, in turn, thanked China for its support of Indonesia’s economic development and highlighted the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway -- a flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative -- as a model for successful cooperation. He expressed optimism that bilateral relations will continue to flourish under Indonesia’s new leadership.