00:00Strong ties between China and Indonesia set the bar for cooperation among global South countries.
00:06That's according to China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi,
00:09who's held talks in Jakarta with the chairman of Indonesia's National Economic Council.
00:15Wang said China is ready to support Indonesia's development.
00:19Wang Yi's trip to Indonesia follows a two-day visit to South Korea.
00:24Joseph Mahoney is the professor of politics and international relations at East China Normal University.
00:31You know, both stops are part of the same trip and reflect what Beijing calls neighborhood diplomacy,
00:39prioritizing stable, practical relations with nearby countries.
00:43In Seoul, Wang Yi met the president, the foreign minister and the national security advisor.
00:49And I think the message was clear. China-South Korea relations have been comprehensively restored.
00:55You know, they were ruptured for a while and are moving forward with stronger mutual understanding
01:01and economic cooperation, including efforts to accelerate the second phase of the free trade agreement.
01:10Now, in Jakarta, he co-chaired, Wang Yi co-chaired the first China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic dialogue.
01:17And together with China's defense minister, the second foreign and defense so-called two-plus-two meeting.
01:25I think taken together, these visits show China is actively deepening ties with key neighbors in both North East and
01:33Southeast Asia.
01:34In South Korea, Wang Yi called for stronger strategic trust and closer economic cooperation.
01:40How important is the current improvement in China-South Korea relations for stability in Northeast Asia?
01:50Yeah, I think it matters a great deal.
01:53High-level exchanges over the past year have put the relationship on a clear upward path.
01:59As I said, it's back on track.
02:02Wang Yi emphasized that a rational, pragmatic approach to China serves South Korea's own interest,
02:09as well as fits the broader regional trend.
02:12He called for better communication, less unnecessary suspicion, and cooperation across politics, trade, and security,
02:20while encouraging Seoul to maintain genuine strategic autonomy and develop relations with major powers in a parallel, non-exclusive way.
02:32And let's be clear, China wants security in the region.
02:36They want it on the peninsula, and they want better trade.
02:38China and Indonesia agreed to deepen cooperation in all kinds of areas, defense, minerals, energy, technology.
02:46What does that tell us about how broad this relationship has now become?
02:53Well, you know, again, I think in the case of Indonesia, it shows the partnership has become genuinely comprehensive.
03:00And this is something that's been developing over the years, but it's also something that continues to show great promise.
03:10Now, Chinese investment remains substantial, and both sides treat the success of Chinese companies in Indonesia as mutual success.
03:19So with all of this in hand, I think we can see the relationship now combines development, security, and strategic
03:26coordination,
03:26offering a practical example of cooperation that other countries in the region may find useful as they balance or maybe
03:35consider rebalancing their own external ties.
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