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Indonesia looks forward to strengthening ties with China's new foreign minister
Indonesia and the United States have both welcomed the New Year's Eve appointment of former Chinese ambassador to the US Qin Gang as the country's new foreign minister.
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Qin Gang speaks on Dec. 25, 2013 in his capacity as director of the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Information Department during an event in Beijing. The Chinese government announced on Dec. 31, 2022 that Qin, one of Beijing's most prominent “Wolf Warrior“ diplomats, had been appointed as foreign minister. (AFP/CNS)
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hile congratulating her newly appointed Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on Sunday, Foreign Minister Retno L.P. Marsudi noted that Jakarta remained enthusiastic about strengthening its ties with Beijing and bolstering the Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Having worked with former Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi for the past eight years, Retno added that she was eager to maintain the two countries’ relationship with Qin.
“Congratulations to Qin Gang @AmbQinGang on your appointment as foreign minister of PRC. [...] My thanks to Wang Yi, for working together in our common efforts to strengthen the ties and cooperation between our two countries and peoples,” Retno tweeted, using the abbreviation for the People's Republic of China.
The Indonesia-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was agreed in 2013, the same year Wang was appointed. The partnership aimed to boost cooperation in the economy, trade, fishery, space and tourism, and has produced numerous agreements, memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and plans since, including a 2022-2026 five-year action plan.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Chinese President Xi Jinping shared “an in-depth” exchange during the former’s July visit to discuss the future of the comprehensive partnership, according to joint statement from the pair released by the Foreign Ministry.
Balancing act
Many have perceived the appointment of Qin, a former Chinese envoy to the United States, as part of Beijing’s efforts to stabilize its relationship with Washington.
