BEIJING, Oct. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, where he’s met with his Indonesian counterpart, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two sides held a press conference afterward and pledged to lift bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. This is the first leg of Xi’s maiden trip to Southeast Asia since assuming the presidency in March.

A warm welcome, President Xi Jinping’s first trip to Southeast Asia starts from Indonesia.

During the two leaders’ meeting on Wesnesday, President Xi Jinping and his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono agreed to lift bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi Jinping says both China and Indonesia are developing nations with big influence in the region and the world. The two sides have many common interests and common goals in maintaining the region’s stability and prosperity. President Xi also proposed to set up an Asian infrastructure investment bank, aiming to boost infrastructure investment in the region.

Susilo says the two nations’ relations have greatly improved since the establishment of the China-Indonesia strategic partnership in 2005. He says lifting bilateral ties is an opportunity to strengthen the two nations’s cooperation.

The two leaders have set a goal for bilateral trade to reach 80 billion US dollars in 2015. They’ve also agreed to renew a currency swap deal amounting to the equivalent of 15 billion US dollars and will consider expanding this deal.

They will also increase defense security negotiations and dialogue between the two nations’ navies. An inter-governmental Fishing and an Aerospace cooperation mechanism will also be built. A Chinese cultural center will also be set up in Jakarta and a Chinese consulate general will be opened on Bali Island.

After the meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of a five year bilateral economic cooperation plan along with other agreements.

(Source: CNTV.cn)