By CCTV correspondent Andy Saputra

BEIJING, Oct. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Indonesia takes cooperation between the two countries to a brand new level.

President Xi Jinping was applauded as he takes landmark steps of the Indonesian parliamentary. The stage normally reserved only for Indonesian presidents, is now, for the first time, given to a foreign leader Signifying the leaps and bounds of the relations between the two countries

Xi Jinping, Chinese President, said, Mutual trust between the 2 countries have strengthen the bilateral relations in political sector. Pragmatic cooperation sectors of the 2 countries have expanded in traditional sectors like economy, trade, monetary, infrastructure, energy and natural resources and also in new sectors like aerospace and maritime”

That mutual trust has been turned into a comprehensive strategic partnership during the visit, expanding the 2005 strategic partnership agreement and it has already taken effect with a wide range of memorandum of understandings were signed during the first day visit including the very important currency swap deal worth 100 billion RMB or over 15 billion USD.

That should give a boost to the Indonesian economy; given it is suffering from a big trade deficit. President Xi also held a meeting with the business community, realising the commitment to more Chinese investment in Indonesia

During his historic speech, the president spoke extensively about Indonesia and China’s role in shaping the region through ASEAN, and committed to form an asian infrastructure bank to help fund projects in the region.

And he also addressed the question on the thorny issue between ASEAN – China.

Xi Jinping, Chinese President, said, “Regarding the dispute and overlapping claims between China and a number of ASEAN countries in territorial sovereignty and rights and maritime interest, both parties must handle it in the best way possible and peacefully through dialogues and friendly consultations while maintaining bilateral relations and regional stability.”

Certainly a very successful first visit to the region and with so many landmark results, this visit will be written in the history books.

(Source: CNTV.cn)