The Jakarta Post, Beijing

China finds Indonesia’s economic growth impressive, putting it on a fast track to become a prominent trading partner, officials say on Tuesday, just days ahead of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s visit to the country.

Yudhoyono is scheduled to be in Beijing on March 22–24 where he will meet with China’s top leaders as well as members of the business community. Although he has visited China five times before, the upcoming trip will be his second official state visit, according to the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The ministry’s vice minister for Asian affairs, Fu Ying, praised Indonesia’s 6.5 percent economic growth last year and the more than 50 percent increase in the two countries’ bilateral trade, which rose from US$42.75 billion in 2010 to $60.5 billion last year. Read more