W Sulawesi Governor Meets Chinese Business Executives

Kamis, 6 Juni 2013 14:03 WIB

Gubernur Sulawesi Barat, Drs.H.Anwar Adnan Saleh (kiri) dan Kepala Bidang Ekonomi Bank Pembangunan China Le Weibin (kanan) berjabat tangan usai membahas kerjasama bidang investasi di kantor KBRI China, Kamis (6/6). (ANTARA FOTO/Aco Ahmad)

"This is our fifth visit in China over the last several years. We come here to establish a partnership cooperation, not to conduct a picnic trip," Governor Anwar Adnan Saleh said during the meeting at the embassy here on Thursday.

Beijing, China (ANTARA Sulbar) - Indonesian Ambassador to China Imron Cotan has facilitated a meeting between West Sulawesi Governor Anwar Adnan Saleh and the executives of state-owned companies from Fangchenggang City, Guangzi Province, China, here on Thursday.

"This is our fifth visit in China over the last several years. We come here to establish a partnership cooperation, not to conduct a picnic trip," Governor Anwar Adnan Saleh said during the meeting at the embassy here on Thursday.

He said that Panchenggang was geographically strategic for establishing a partnership with Indonesia because it was located under the equatorial line and became the gate for international trade through a sea transportation lane.

"Frankly speaking, we have signed a lot of memorandums of understanding (MoU). I want that cooperation with China to be followed up soon because my term of office as governor of West Sulawesi would end in the coming three years," the governor said.

Anwar who is also the chairman of the Regional Development Cooperation Board (BKPRS) said Indonesia had six provinces with bright cooperation prospects with China.

In connection with the plan to foster cooperation with China, the Indonesian embassy is expected to extend its assistance so that the implementation of the agreements could be carried out soon.

In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to China Imron Cotan explained that Fangchenggang was a strategic city for West Sulawesi to establish cooperation in the seaport sector.

"We want the relations between China and Indonesia to become increasingly harmonious in encouraging national economic development," the ambassador said.

Therefore, he said, the cooperation will be increased further, particularly cooperation in sister seaport between China and West Sulawesi.

"There are many things where both sides could cooperate with, including in such sectors as trade, tourism, agriculture, animal husbandry and other sectors," said Imron.

He said that business from Fangchenggang had also expressed their readiness to follow up the cooperation agreement with Indonesia, particularly with West Sulawesi.

Earlier, Harry, the chairman of West Sulawesi regional government-owned companies (BUMD), said that the sister seaport cooperation was important to optimize the function of Belang-Belang Seaport in Mamuju, West Sulawesi Province.

The Guangzi state companies gave a positive response to the sister seaport cooperation with West Sulawesi because it would be able to cut logistics cost by two dollars per ton from the usual cost if the goods passed on the third port of Singapore.

"So far, Guangzi has been taking Singapore as the third seaport for its logistics lane to West Sulawesi. But after studying a sister port cooperation, China found it would benefit its logistics and reduce cost by two dollars per ton," said Harry.

He said that with the cooperation, the dispatch of logistics between China and Indonesia would become easy. Fangchenggang City in Guangzi is one of the biggest seaport area in China.

"Fangchenggang has piers with a length of two kilometers and accommodating capacity of ships with 250-350 DWTs. The seaport serves as a center for logistics transportation activities to Southeast Asian countries and to other Asian nations," Harry added. A Abdussalam/O Tamindael