CHINESE Foreign Minister Wang Yi steps up diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region by visiting Indonesia, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.
Wang Yi’s six-day trip to the region started on Thursday.
Indonesia, Cambodia, and Papua New Guinea consider China a major trading partner and foreign investor.
Meanwhile, Beijing has acknowledged the three nations as “good friends and good partners.”
The visit presents an opportunity for high-level talks and promote projects through the Belt and Road cooperation.
One of the most successful examples of China’s Belt and Road strategy was the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway. The Indonesian railway was Southeast Asia’s first high-speed rail line funded by Beijing.
To recall, Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto traveled to the Chinese capital last month at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit made Subianto the first President-elect to accept an invitation from a foreign leader for official talks even before being sworn in. Xi expressed China’s interest in forging an all-round strategic cooperation with Indonesia during the talks.
In a meeting last year, Xi and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen agreed to increase bilateral links in politics, productivity, agriculture, energy, security, and human exchanges through the so-called “Diamond Hexagon” cooperation.
Meanwhile, negotiations for security and police cooperation are underway between China and Papua New Guinea.
China steps up diplomacy with Southeast Asia amid rivalry for influence with the United States in the region.
