On April 22, Ambassador Wang Lutong gave an interview to The Jakarta Post, in which he expounded on China's positions on a series of global and regional issues, including China-Indonesia economic and trade cooperation, the situation in the South China Sea, cooperation with ASEAN, global supply chains, as well as the situation in the Middle East. The full text is as follows:
Jakarta Post: Indonesia recently offered to play a mediating role in several international crises, including in the Middle East. From China’s standpoint, is there value in nations such as Indonesia acting as intermediaries in global conflicts, or does Beijing see the need for a different diplomatic framework given the status quo?
Ambassador Wang Lutong: China is committed to peace, the resolution of disputes through political and diplomatic means, to achieve stability in the Middle East and the Gulf region. President Xi Jinping puts forward a four-point proposal on peace and stability in the Middle East.
First, peaceful coexistence. Countries in the Middle East and Gulf region are interdependent and inseparable neighbors. Efforts should be made for these countries to improve their relations. It is imperative to building a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security architecture in the region.
Second, national sovereignty. The sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of regional countries should be fully respected, and the safety of personnel, facilities and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded.
Third, international rule of law. The authority of international rule of law should be upheld, rejecting selective application to keep the world away from the law of the jungle. President Xi called for firmly upholding the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Fourth, development and security. Security makes development possible, and development helps maintain security. All parties should work together to create a favorable environment for the development of countries in the region.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi had nearly 30 phone calls with his counterparts of relevant countries. The Chinese Government's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue has paid shuttle visits to the Middle East and the Gulf region. China and Pakistan jointly put forward a Five-Point Initiative for Restoring Peace and Stability in the Gulf and Middle East Region, which has been widely welcomed by the international community, including Indonesia. All this fully embodies China's consistent position and active efforts in promoting peace, and advocating dialogue.
As a responsible major country, China will continue to play a constructive role and work with the international community to contribute to the early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Unilateralism and power politics will only exacerbate conflicts, and confrontation does not help solve problems. Only through dialogue and consultation can an effective path to lasting peace be found. All efforts conducive to peace talks and political settlement of disputes should be welcomed and supported.
As an important country in Southeast Asia, Indonesia has long pursued an independent foreign policy and played an active role in advancing peace and stability in the region and beyond.
China stands ready to further strengthen coordination and cooperation with the Global South including Indonesia, speak up for justice, help the international community build broader consensus and forge greater synergy, so as to contribute to peace and tranquility in the Gulf and the Middle East at an early date.
Jakarta Post: South China Sea tensions continue to affect Southeast Asia, including in areas near Indonesia’s Natuna region. While China has previously promoted more bilateral avenues to resolving disputes, recent armed conflict further afield has strengthened a regional resolve to unite under ASEAN to maintain stability. Does China believe that now is the right time for a final and binding Code of Conduct on the South China Sea to take effect, or is there a shift in China’s view of ASEAN’s role in managing maritime tensions?
Ambassador Wang Lutong: Over the years, thanks to the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries, the situation in the South China Sea has on the whole maintained peace and stability. The South China Sea remains the safest and busiest waterway in the world for international navigation and overflight. Over the past year, cooperation in the South China Sea has maintained a sound momentum. China has conducted in-depth discussions with Indonesia on maritime joint development, held bilateral consultations with Malaysia on maritime issues, and carried out cooperation on sustainable fishery with Viet Nam.
Not long ago, China Coast Guard successfully rescued more than 10 Filipino crew members in distress in the South China Sea. The real South China Sea is full of peace, cooperation and friendship. This is also common aspiration of the coastal countries.
In recent years, frequent conflicts broke out in other parts of the world, which highlights how precious the tranquility of the South China Sea is. This is the result of years of joint efforts by countries in the region, which has not come easily and needs to be cherished more than ever.
China and ASEAN countries are beneficiaries of peace and stability in the South China Sea. One important experience drawn from this is the full, complete and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) between China and ASEAN countries. The more the parties cooperate under the framework of the DOC, the fewer differences and frictions there will be. As the successor to and development of the DOC, the code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea is a set of mechanisms for the management of differences. Its main purpose is to prevent the escalation of crises pending the settlement of territorial and maritime delimitation disputes, and to lay a framework for cooperation in low-sensitivity maritime areas.
China and ASEAN countries have set the goal of reaching the COC within this year. The pace of COC consultations has accelerated markedly recently, and the finish line is in sight. We should strengthen confidence, act in good faith, and be flexible and pragmatic to ensure the conclusion of the COC on schedule.
Looking ahead, China stands ready to continue working with ASEAN countries to enhance dialogue, remove disturbances, seek common ground while narrowing differences, and truly build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
Jakarta Post: Under President Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia has reaffirmed its “free and active” foreign policy. What is China’s geopolitical view regarding Indonesia’s recent strides in strengthening ties with the United States, including through the Agreement on Reciprocal Tariffs (ART) and the Washington-led Board of Peace?
Ambassador Wang Lutong: Indonesia’s long-standing fine tradition of the “free and active” foreign policy embodies the spirit of independence and self-reliance in diplomacy, and has played an important and constructive role in safeguarding regional peace and stability.
Indonesia is a sovereign country. China welcomes all cooperation that helps enhance mutual trust among regional countries and uphold regional peace, stability and prosperity.
The current international situation is complex and volatile. China believes that state-to-state exchanges should conform to the trend of the times. Countries should not form exclusive blocs, still less should they introduce Cold War mentality and bloc confrontation.
No matter how the international situation may evolve, China firmly safeguards the UN-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
Both economic and trade arrangements and security cooperation mechanisms should be open and inclusive and pursue win-win outcomes, rather than being exclusive or, exacerbating geopolitical tensions. Approaches oriented toward bloc confrontation are not conducive to the long-term stability of the region.
World economic development and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific should be built on mutual respect and mutual benefit, not at the expense of the security interests of other countries or the stability of regional industrial and supply chains.
China firmly opposes any country’s interference in and disruption of normal cooperation between other countries by unilateral sanctions, and opposes coercing third countries to take sides.
China will make necessary and legitimate responses to acts that undermine its sovereignty, security and development interests.
There is only one universally recognized path to the question of Palestine -- the two-State solution. Any other arrangement or establishment of new mechanisms should advance rather than undermine the two-state solution. The international community should not allow the Palestinian question to be marginalized again. The United Nations bears a greater responsibility to play a leading role in this process.
China and Indonesia are both major developing countries and important members of the Global South, sharing extensive common interests and a solid foundation for cooperation. China-Indonesia relations carry important regional and international influence. We should continue to work hand in hand to safeguard the UN-centered international system, uphold international fairness and justice, and practice true multilateralism.
Jakarta Post: The signed ART includes 0% tariffs on 99% of US products and specific “security clauses” relating to third countries. As Indonesia’s largest trading partner, how concerned is China about provisions that could impact trade and draw countries like Indonesia into US-China trade competition?
Ambassador Wang Lutong: China always advocates that all countries carry out mutually beneficial and win-win economic and trade cooperation, and believes that relevant arrangements should contribute to global trade liberalization and facilitation, rather than serving as a tool for imposing exclusive standards.
On the ART between Indonesia and the United States, China's position is clear and consistent. Any bilateral economic and trade arrangement should not target a third party, nor should it harm the legitimate interests of a third party.
Trade rules should not be used as a means to hinder normal international industrial division of labor or disrupt the stability of regional industrial and supply chains.
We remain vigilant against the United States imposing exclusive or restrictive clauses in trade agreements. Such practices, which seek to decouple and sever industrial chains under the pretext of “reciprocity”, essentially undermine multilateralism.
We support Indonesia in safeguarding its economic sovereignty, and believe that regional countries can see through the real intention of the United States, which is to serve its geopolitical self-interests through trade agreements and disrupt the integration of the Asia-Pacific.
China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner for many years. Our Belt and Road cooperation has yielded fruitful results.
China stands ready to strengthen practical cooperation with Indonesia in industrial chain, new energy, infrastructure and other fields on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, so as to deliver new progress in bilateral economic and trade relations, and make greater contribution to the development of our two countries and the well-being of our two peoples.
Jakarta Post: The ART creates a new framework that grants the US sweeping preferential access. China has previously raised questions at the WTO about the compliance of such agreements with most-favored-nation (MFN) principles. How does China expect Indonesia to balance its new commitments under the ART with existing obligations under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the WTO?
Ambassador Wang Lutong: The international economic governance system is undergoing an unprecedented test. All parties should stand on the right side of history, jointly voice firm support for the multilateral trading system, and clearly oppose unilateralism and protectionism.
Economic globalization represents an irreversible historical trend, and multilateralism is the inevitable choice to address global challenges. We must not allow the world to revert to the law of the jungle. Win-win cooperation is the only right path that leads to a brighter future.
China advocates replacing confrontation with dialogue, countering power politics with rules, and leading the future with reform.
All parties should uphold multilateralism, cement the foundation of global trade, firmly support the WTO-centered, rules-based multilateral trading system, safeguard the basic WTO principles including most-favored-nation treatment, and jointly reject acts of unilateralism and protectionism.
We look forward to Indonesia adhering to independence and self-reliance in its external economic and trade cooperation, properly balancing its own development needs with the interests and concerns of all parties, and making choices in line with its long-term development and the overall interests of the region. China stands ready to strengthen coordination and collaboration with Indonesia, achieve new progress in bilateral cooperation, and better serve the respective development of the two countries and the overall regional prosperity and stability.
Jakarta Post: Global supply chains are entering an era of “structural uncertainty”, according to a recent WEF report, driven by fragmentation and geopolitical shifts. As a key investor in Indonesia’s downstream mineral projects, how does China assess the risk that global trade fragmentation poses to the stability of these critical supply chains? What joint strategies can China and Indonesia adopt to ensure the flow of materials and technology for our energy transition remains resilient against these external shocks?
Ambassador Wang Lutong: The root cause of global trade fragmentation lies in the rise of unilateralism and protectionism. The primary measure to address risks is to uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, and resolutely oppose the politicization, weaponization, and over-securitization of economic and trade issues.
China calls on all countries to resolve differences through dialogue and consultation, ensure the public good attribute of global industrial and supply chains, and safeguard their function in optimizing resource allocation on a global scale.
China advocates deepening practical cooperation with all countries through high-quality building of the Belt and Road Initiative and the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). By promoting "re-globalization", we encourage all countries to establish win-win collaborative mechanisms in strategic fields such as semiconductors, new energy, and critical minerals, rather than building exclusive "small blocs". We are committed to building a resilient and win-win global industrial and supply chain system, and promoting the cross-border flow of global factors through platforms such as the China International Import Expo and the China Import and Export Fair, so as to offset the uncertainty of the trade environment with the stability of cooperation.
