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Wen to visit Malaysia, Indonesia

Updated: 2011-04-22 07:41

By Li Xiaokun (China Daily)

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BEIJING - Premier Wen Jiabao will pay the first official visit of a Chinese premier in a decade to Indonesia from April 29 to 30, after a two-day official visit to Malaysia, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

Wen will witness the signing of a series of agreements during the visit, covering sectors including banking, energy, palm oil and infrastructure, Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue said at a news conference.

He said the deals in Malaysia would include telecommunications and infrastructure construction cooperation, while in Indonesia there would be a greater number of documents signed, including on banking.

"The bank cooperation will probably involve many banks, not just one or two," Hu said. "There will also be some financing (deals) for major projects."

Other agreements to be signed in Indonesia would cover palm oil plantations and coal-fired power plant projects.

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"I believe that this visit will be very fruitful," Hu said, adding that Wen will give "an important speech" in Indonesia on China's policies.

Wen will also meet leaders of the two nations.

Malaysia's second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, late father of the current Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, came to Beijing in 1974 to establish diplomatic ties between the two nations with then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai.

Both Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta sent high-ranking officials to Beijing this week to prepare for the visit.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Mohamad Yassin told Wen on Wednesday that his country sees China as a reliable partner.

Apart from expanding business cooperation, Malaysia also wants to enhance coordination with China on international and regional affairs, he said.

According to Bernama, the Malysian national news agency, Muhyiddin said Wen told him China had agreed to increase its investment in Malaysia to be on par with Malaysia's investment in China.

At a dinner with members of the Malaysian community in Beijing later in his one-week China visit, Muhyiddin urged Malaysian businessmen to actively assist the government to attract investment from the Asian economic powerhouse.

"With China continuing to enjoy rapid development as an economic power and an important political powerhouse in the world, Malaysia can certainly benefit in trade, both regionally and globally," he said.

Malaysia has been China's largest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 2008, while China is Malaysia's top global trading partner.

In his meeting with visiting Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa on Tuesday, Wen said the Chinese government attaches great importance to its strategic partnership with Indonesia.

Indonesian Employers Association Chairman Sofyan Wanandi told Xinhua News Agency on Thursday that Wen's visit to his country is expected to bring more investment from China and more participation in developing Indonesia's infrastructure.

Wen's visit will be key for China and the two countries in pushing forward not only bilateral relations but also ties between China and ASEAN, said Luo Yongkun, a researcher with the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

Reuters contributed to this story.

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