by Liang Hui, Yu Qianliang
JAKARTA, March 2 (Xinhua) -- "Indonesian government's foreign policy pursuing friendly cooperation with China and the friendship between the two peoples have been well reflected in the fight against COVID-19," Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian told Xinhua recently in an exclusive interview.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chinese embassy in Indonesia immediately notified the Indonesian government of China's prevention and control measures through diplomatic channels, and continued to report the latest progress of the epidemic, Xiao said.
At the same time, the embassy continued to share information with the Indonesian society through press conferences, think-tank speeches so as to strengthen Indonesia's confidence in friendly cooperation with China.
Xiao said that the highly transparent, timely and effective share of information has enhanced Indonesian society's understanding of China's epidemic prevention and control measures. The mainstream media in Indonesia have spoken highly of the comprehensive, vigorous and effective measures adopted by the Chinese government, and recognized the cooperation between the two countries to fight against the outbreak.
Since the outbreak, people from all walks of life in Indonesia have expressed their support for China through various forms, such as donations, letters of condolence, and blessing videos.
The outbreak has caused inconvenience to recent bilateral exchanges, and some economic and trade investment projects and tourism cooperation have also been under pressure, but the fundamentals and long-term development of bilateral relations will not be affected, Xiao said.
As long as the measures taken by both sides are proper, strong and effective, the bilateral relations, mutual trust and friendship will be boosted, and valuable experiences will be gained for better response to similar challenges in the future, said the ambassador.
He hoped that the two countries will further enhance mutual understanding, trust and friendship in the joint fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, and expand cooperation in bilateral, regional and international affairs.
It was reported that the trips of Chinese tourists who recently traveled to Bali and other places of Indonesia have been affected by the epidemic. Xiao said the Chinese embassy has coordinated with relevant Indonesian authorities and arranged charter flights, and as a result dozens of tourists of Hubei province in Bali have returned to China safely.
The embassy has also provided services to Chinese enterprises, overseas Chinese and students in Indonesia, and collected some medical supplies for Chinese provinces.