RI, CHINA TO DISCUSS INFRASTRUCTURE COOPERATION MASTER PLAN

Jakarta, April 5 (ANTARA) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao will discuss a master plan on cooperation in transportation infrastructure development.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said here on Monday the Chinese prime minister would arrive in Indonesia for a two-day visit on April 23, 2010.

Hatta made the statement after accompanying President Yudhoyono during a courtesy call by Chinese Trade Minister Chen Deming at the presidential office.

"Indonesia will soon draw up a master plan for infrastructure cooperation with China as it will be discussed by President Yudhoyono and Wen Jiabao when the latter visits Indonesia later this month," Hatta said.

He did not say when exactly the master plan would be made but said the Chinese prime minister would arrive on April 23 for a two-day visit.

According to Hatta the Chinese government had prepared investment funds of more than US$15 billion for the Southeast Asian region.

"Cooperation with China in transportation infrastructure in Indonesia is our primary concern," Hatta said.

The Chinese trade minister arrived in Indonesia on Friday, April 2, 2010 to attend the 10th meeting of the Indonesia-China Joint Commission in Yogyakarta on Saturday.

An agreement to step up sustainable bilateral trade and maintain bilateral trade balance between the two countries was reached at the Indonesia-China Joint Commission meeting in Yogyakarta.

At the meeting, the Chinese government promised to encourage its private companies to increase their imports from Indonesia to maintain trade between the two countries.

In addition, the Chinese government would also step up investment by its private companies in Indonesia by cooperating in a joint investment promotion program.

Meanwhile, Mari Elka Pangestu said the performance of Indonesian exports to China in the first two months of this year rose by 138 percent while imports from China in the same period also rose by 50 percent.