DHAKA: Chinese president Xi Jinping arrived in Indonesia on Wednesday for his first visit to South-east Asia since taking office, striving to boost ties and economic partnerships with the region’s biggest country.

He met his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and is expected to address the country’s parliament and meet business leaders during the two-day trip.

The countries are to sign a number of agreements totalling US$20 billion in areas such as loans, mining, transportation and joint investment, reports The Straits Times.

Deals involving monorail construction in the capital, Jakarta, and the West Java provincial capital of Bandung are also planned.

A currency swap that could be utilised to support Indonesia’s sliding rupiah in a crisis is also expected.

‘This visit is very significant for the improvement of bilateral relations in political, economic and other sectors,’ Indonesia industry minister Mohamad Suleman Hidayat said on Tuesday.

BDST: 1716 HRS, OCT 02, 2013
RoR/GCP