JAKNEWS.COM---China’s Premier Wen Jiabao will make his first trip to Indonesia in April, just weeks after a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama, a foreign ministry official said on Thursday (11/3).

Trade between two of Asia’s leading economies is likely to be the main topic during Wen’s visit. Indonesia’s manufacturing industry has voiced fears over a flood of cheap Chinese goods after a free trade agreement between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) came into effect in January this year.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah confirmed Wen was scheduled to visit next month. “It will be around the third week of April. Once we have fixed the date, we will discuss the agenda,” he said by telephone.

But Faizasyah said trade was one of the issues “most likely” to be discussed. Wen’s visit comes hot on the heels of a trip by Obama, who is scheduled to visit Indonesia March 20-22 and is due to sign a framework agreement to bolster ties.

The world’s most populous Muslim nation has strong security and business ties with Washington, but has also seen growing ties with China in recent years.
 

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