JAKARTA (TheInsiderStories) - United States (US) secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said Washington would find new ways to work with Indonesia in the South China Sea and respects the country’ efforts to safeguard its waters while rejecting claims of violating Chinese law in the area. He delivered the statement after met President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Palace on Thursday (10/29).
For Indonesia, said foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, South China Sea should be maintained as a stable and peaceful sea. While, international law, in particular UNCLOS 1982, must be respected and implemented. Therefore, she asserted, any claims should be based on universally recognized principle of international law.
At the bilateral meeting, she explained, the head of state urged US together with Southeast Asian countries must create peace, stability and cooperation in the region. On bilateral side, she added, both countries agreed to enhance a strategic partnership on health, economy, and defense sectors.
“We agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, particularly to strengthen global supply chain and expedite economic recovery. In this regard, I underlined again the importance of GSP (generalized system of preferences) facilities that not only bring benefits for Indonesia, but also for US businesses,” said Marsudi in a virtual presser today.
President also encourage US’ businesses to invest more in Indonesia, including for projects in the outer islands, such as Natuna Island. On defense cooperation, Widodo and Pompeo agreed to enhance defense cooperation, including strengthening defense capabilities and military procurement, training and exercises, intelligence sharing, and maritime security cooperation in the region.
“We are (also) committed to promote the Indo - Pacific cooperation that is open, inclusive, transparent, and rules-based. We discussed the situation in the South China Sea. We discussed the issue of Palestine and we discussed also our collaboration in Afghanistan,” said Marsudi.
Pompeo also announced, Washington to provide roughly US$11 million of government assistance and 1,000 ventilators for Indonesia. The funds part of the more than $20 billion his country has pledged around the world for the global COVID-19 response. He also emphasized that there should be much more investment from the United States, especially in the digital, energy, and infrastructure sectors in Indonesia.
“We are poised to use that American tool to promote private sector investment that can support President Widodo’ plans to spend $327 billion on more than 250 infrastructure projects,” said Pompeo.
He said, the International Development Finance Corporation is catalyzing private sector investment in Indonesia’ growing infrastructure, digital, and energy sectors, and the recent signing of a bilateral Infrastructure Finance agreement will attract private sector capital to meet Indonesia’s estimated $1.5 trillion infrastructure gap.
US companies are major investors in Indonesia’ economy, contributing to sustainable growth across diverse sectors. In October 2020, Kimberly-Clark executed its $1.2 billion acquisition of Softex Indonesia with a strategy to fuel the company’ growth through brand building and innovation.
While, Earlier this year, Pennsylvania-based Air Products and Chemicals Inc., announced a $2 billion investment to create a world-class production facility in Kalimantan for methanol, a chemical feedstock. The company joined with two state firms, PT Bukit Asam Tbk (IDX: PTBA) and PT Pertamina.
Written by Editorial Staff, Email: theinsiderstories@gmail.com
