Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indonesian counter part Marty Natalagewa held talks in Jakarta on May 2 to seek ways to boost bilateral ties between the two countries.

During the talks, the two sides agreed that there are rooms for the relationship between the two countries to develop.

Both sides should fully tap all potential and opportunities to strengthen their all-round strategic cooperation, especially in trade, maritime and energy, so as to benefit the two countries and their people as well as contribute to the peace and development in the region and the world, they said.

The two sides agreed to maintain high-level exchanges, expand bilateral trade and investment, strengthen maritime cooperation, deepen the cooperation in defence and security, expand cultural exchanges and increase their coordination in international organisations.

At the talks, Wang Yi pledged that China will continue working with ASEAN member countries to make contributions to peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region.

He affirmed that Beijing wants to settle disputes related to the East Sea in a peaceful manner through consultations with directly-related countries and the effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). Wang added that Beijing is ready to discuss the building of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), and is willing to continue holding high-level meetings to talk these issues.

Minister Natalagewa said both Indonesia and China, together with other ASEAN member countries, believe that it is crucial to fully implement DOC and continue negotiating the building of COC and have no contradictions on these issues.

Two-way trade between Indonesia and China rose from 49.153 billion USD in 2011 to over 51 billion USD in 2012.-VNA