On 22 May 2015, the Embassy of Indonesia in Beijing was invited to participate in One Belt One Road:
New Silk Road, New Starting Point for Cooperation and
Exchange Seminar, which took place in Xi'an.
The seminar was organized by the Municipal Governments of Xi'an and Quanzhou, which are the starting points of the Modern Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, respectively.
The following is the speech that I presented in front of around 400 participants of the seminar, including local and national media people.
Excellencies,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
First and foremost, I would like to
extend my sincerest appreciation to the Governments of Quanzhou Municipality, and
Xi'an Municipality, for kindly inviting the Embassy of Indonesia to participate
in this important conference.
Indeed, the invitation extended to
our Embassy is a reflection of the high regard given by Chinese Government
towards Indonesia, as an important player in efforts to concretely develop the
One Belt, One Road initiative.
Freshly following the visits of
Chinese President Xi Jinping to Indonesia and Kazakhstan last month, I
sincerely believe that the organizing of this conference is timely. The hope is
that we will have frank and fruitful discussions on the values and challenges of
the One Belt One Road initiative.
Since the introduction of the One
Belt, One Road initiative in 2013, the Chinese Government has vigorously
promoted this initiative in bilateral and multilateral forums. China is also leading efforts to develop supporting
institutions and mechanisms, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB).
Indeed, China is not only talking
the talk, but also walking the walk.
Like many countries in the Asia-Pacific,
Indonesia welcomes the One Belt One Road initiative as a contributing step
towards building a more connected, more prosperous, and more peaceful region. As one of the countries along the 21st Century
Maritime Silk Road, Indonesia recognizes that efforts to strengthen
connectivity could directly lead to greater economic prosperity across the
region.
Such a shared interest in
developing maritime connectivity can be traced to historical accounts linking
Indonesia and China. We all know of the
seven voyages of Admiral Zheng He. On
each of his voyages to the Western Seas, Zheng He and his men spent time in
Indonesia, to learn local traditions and introduce the locals to Chinese
culture. Stories of these friendly
exchanges are very popular in Indonesia.
Today, as a country made up of over
17 thousand islands, Indonesia knows too well the importance of better maritime
connectivity. While Indonesia may be located
strategically between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, without strong
connectivity, it would be challenging for us to maximize on our geographic
advantage.
We recognize that connectivity
provides a basis for better flows of goods, people and services. This would
spur business activities stemming from easy access and the development of regional
production networks. Better connectivity
will bring products and services closer to consumers. Our aim should be to rid
the Asia-Pacific of high-cost economy, and make the region more competitive and
cohesive.
Connectivity will also improve
balanced growth and narrow the development gaps existing among countries in the
Asia-Pacific. It will spur more
intensive investment cooperation, especially in infrastructure development,
thus fostering sustainable and long-term growth. Therefore, the One Belt One Road initiative
must evolve along a win-win path, for both developed and developing countries.
Excellencies,
Ladies
and gentlemen,
President Xi Jinping's state visit to
Indonesia in October 2013 marked a new chapter in Indonesia-China relations, as
our bilateral cooperation was elevated from "strategic partnership"
to "comprehensive strategic partnership". Moreover, it was during the visit to Jakarta that
the idea of a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road was first introduced
to the region.
In November 2014, it was Indonesian President
Joko Widodo's turn to further elevate bilateral relations, as China became his
first destination abroad since assuming the Indonesian leadership. President Widodo is committed to deepening
and widening bilateral cooperation in various fields, such as infrastructure,
connectivity, as well as energy and food security.
Moreover, President Widodo believes
that China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is complementary to his vision of Indonesia
as a "global maritime fulcrum".
What we want are: improved physical connectivity, better institutional
connectivity, and stronger people-to-people connectivity. With commitment, hard work, and close
partnerships with neighboring countries, this is all within our reach.
China is the biggest economy in
Asia, and Indonesia the largest in Southeast Asia. Together, our two countries should promote
togetherness to convert our bilateral ties into a more solid cooperation that
benefits not only our two peoples, but also the region as a whole.
The One Belt One Road initiative could
provide a platform for strengthening Indonesia’s maritime infrastructure and
transportation. It could stimulate sectors such as ship building, power plants
and seaports. Indonesia could also take
advantage of the trade routes opened by China to export its products to areas
previously difficult to reach, such as Central Asia and Eastern Europe.
Indeed, greater infrastructure investments
would benefit Indonesia, as it accelerates the development of the country's internal
and external connectivity. Maritime
connectivity also opens opportunities for China to be part of efforts in
realizing Indonesia's economic potentials.
At the same time, because of
Indonesia's geographical position and sheer size, these trends would contribute
positively towards stronger connectivity in the Asia-Pacific as a whole.
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Trade along the ancient Silk Road and
maritime silk route was a significant factor in the development of many civilizations
in the region. It opened up China and all the countries along the silk routes,
to political and economic interactions, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people
connections.
Against this backdrop, it is
understandable that many countries have welcomed China's One Belt One Road
initiative. And it is understandable
that efforts to implement the initiative has led to the prominent rise of
certain Chinese cities, such as Quanzhou and Xi'an.
As a rising power, China’s economic
development will continue to bring opportunities to its neighbors. Therefore, its attempts to develop new
cooperative mechanisms are commendable.
At the same time, China must be
willing to listen to the rest of the region, especially in maintaining China's
image as a friendly neighbor among the Asia-Pacific countries. Cooperation can only be nurtured within a
stable and peaceful environment.
The concept of a modern silk road
belt and maritime silk road should not only be symbolic in nature, but also
concrete in its implementation. The hope is that our efforts would contribute
positively towards further fostering a sense of community, a shared identity,
and an integration of interests in the Asia-Pacific.
In this Asian Century, it is in our
hands to determine the fate of our peoples and our region as a whole.
Thank you.
