China's premier says China and Indonesia will promote ‘true multilateralism'
Chinese Premier Li Qiang being greeted by Indonesian officials upon his arrival in Jakarta on May 24. PHOTO: AFP
China's premier says China and Indonesia will promote 'true multilateralism'
SHANGHAI/JAKARTA - China's Premier Li Qiang said on May 24 that China and Indonesia will promote "true multilateralism", the official Xinhua news agency reported, as he landed in Jakarta on a two-day visit to South-east Asia's largest economy.
China has intensified engagement with countries in the region since US President Donald Trump announced hefty import tariffs on its global trading partners earlier this year.
Some levies have since been delayed, while China and the US agreed this month to pause some of their tariffs.
Jakarta, whose biggest trading partner is China, has offered the US a number of concessions in a bid to soften tariffs against Indonesia.
At a business leaders' event later on May 24, at which Mr Li was present, Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto said relations between Beijing and Jakarta were key for regional stability, adding that Indonesia views China as an important partner in developing industry and technology.
He also praised China's role in defending the interests of developing countries and its stand against "imperialism" and "colonialism."
Mr Prabowo and Mr Li will hold a meeting on May 25 to discuss how to strengthen Indonesia-China relations, Indonesian investment minister Rosan Roeslani said in a statement.
Following the visit to Jakarta, Mr Li will travel to Malaysia to attend the Asean-GCC-China Summit, Xinhua reported. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Hong Kong leader says national security scrutiny of restaurants is necessary
Hong Kong leader says national security scrutiny of restaurants is necessary HONG KONG - Hong Kong will toughen screening of catering premises for potential violations of national security, which civil servants should accord top priority in deciding on licence approvals, the city's leader said on Tuesday. Critics see the move as targeting the territory's many businesses, including cafes and restaurants, that have displayed posters, symbols or images expressing solidarity with its embattled pro-democracy movement. Such businesses, widely called the "yellow economic circle", have faced growing pressure from authorities, such as tax inspectors, at a time when they are reeling from a broader economic and retail downturn. "Food and environmental hygiene officers ... should place national security as the most important consideration and make appropriate assessments," John Lee told reporters. He called the move "appropriate and necessary", saying all civil servants were expected to rate security as the highest priority under the national security law. The city's food and hygiene department would follow the law in considering new licences and renewing existing ones, he added. In recent years, authorities in the Asian financial hub have made use of sweeping national security laws imposed after mass anti-government protests in 2019 to systematically crack down on many of its liberal pockets. In May, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department sent letters to thousands of food and entertainment premises, obliging them to accept new terms related to national security. In one document seen by Reuters, the government told business owners to ensure no activity in which they were engaged or involved in "may constitute or cause the occurrence of an offence endangering national security". The former British colony's crackdown on dissent, from arresting democratic activists to shuttering liberal media and civil society groups, has drawn criticism from countries such as Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
19 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Israel set to deport Greta Thunberg, other activists, ministry says
Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht \"Madleen\" approaches Ashdod port following a take over last night by the Israeli army, in Ashdod, Israel, June 9, 2025. REUTERS/Amir Cohen TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY An Israeli solider passes water to those onboard the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht \"Madleen\" after Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, in this screengrab from video released on June 9, 2025. Israel Foreign Ministry via X/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY MANDATORY CREDIT An Israeli solider passes a bun to Greta Thunberg onboard the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht \"Madleen\" after Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in defiance of an Israeli naval blockade, in this still image released on June 9, 2025. Israel Foreign Ministry via X/Handout via REUTERS JERUSALEM - Greta Thunberg and other pro-Palestinian activists have been taken to Tel Aviv airport ahead of their deportation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, after the Israeli navy prevented them from sailing to Gaza. Israeli forces boarded the charity vessel as it neared Gaza early on Monday, trying to break through a years-old naval blockade of the coastal enclave, and seized the 12-strong crew, including Swedish campaigner Thunberg. The British-flagged yacht was taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod and the foreign ministry said the activists were transferred overnight to Ben Gurion airport. "Some of the 'Selfie Yacht' passengers are expected to leave within the next few hours," the ministry said in a statement. "Those who refuse to sign deportation documents and leave Israel will be brought before a judicial authority, in accordance with Israeli law, to authorize their deportation." Consular representatives from the passengers' home countries met them at the airport, it added. The activists had been carrying a small cargo of humanitarian aid, including rice and baby formula, and said they wanted to raise international awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been devastated by months of war. Israel dismissed the voyage as a pro-Hamas publicity stunt. 'The tiny amount of aid that was on the yacht and not consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels,' the Foreign Ministry said. Thunberg accused Israel of kidnapping her in international waters. "I urge all my friends, family and comrades to put pressure on the Swedish government to release me and the others as soon as possible," she said in a video that was recorded ahead of the Israeli navy action. U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Thunberg's claim of being kidnapped. 'I think Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg,' he said. 'She's a young, angry person ... I think she has to go to an anger management class.' Israel has imposed a naval blockade on the coastal enclave since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007, saying it aims to stop weapons from reaching Hamas. The blockade has remained in place through conflicts including the war, which began when Hamas-led militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing more than 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory offensive against Hamas has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, and destroyed most of the homes of its 2.3 million residents. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
25 minutes ago
- Straits Times
China bans bank from luring depositors with popular Labubu dolls
A Chinese lender's stunt to woo depositors with gifts including the wildly popular Labubu dolls has been barred by financial regulators. PHOTO: EPA-EFE BEIJING – A Chinese lender's stunt to woo depositors with gifts including the wildly popular Labubu dolls has been barred by financial regulators, underscoring the increasingly fraught battle among banks for customers as interest rates and profit margins fall. The Zhejiang branch of the National Financial Regulatory Administration has asked local banks to refrain from giving non-compliant perks to attract deposits, according to people familiar with the matter. The guidance came in the wake of a promotion by Ping An Bank, which has been offering Labubu collectibles – blind box toys endorsed by celebrities including Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink – in multiple cities for new depositors who can park in 50,000 yuan (S$8,960) for three months. Such a practice, which often involves offering free items like rice or small home appliances, as well as e-gifts such as memberships at Internet platforms, was seen as driving up costs at banks and hurting their margins, said the people. While Ping An Bank's marketing campaign went viral on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu and sparked strong interest from potential savers, it also drew criticism from state media which said it was 'not a long-term solution.' Chinese lenders are walking a tightrope as they balance between deposit taking and protecting margins that are now at record-low levels across the sector. The nation's big banks just conducted a new round of deposit rate cuts in May, with smaller peers following suit and pushing term deposit interests down to just a little above 1 per cent. The Zhejiang banking regulator has urged the immediate suspension of any products involved in non-compliant deposit-gathering practices, along with the removal of related promotional materials, the people said. It remains unclear whether the regulator's other local divisions have issued similar guidance. The regulator didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Ping An Bank said the initiative started off as a small-scale project launched by a local branch, declining to comment further. China said in a 2018 rule that commercial banks shouldn't attract deposits through 'inappropriate means' such as giving away physical gifts or returning cash. BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
