First Ladies of China and Indonesia Encourage People-to-people Exchanges

CGTN America releases “First Ladies of China and Indonesia encourage people-to-people exchanges”.  It was a people-to-people exchange of the highest order. The first ladies of China and Indonesia set an example in Beijing of what they hoped to encourage – warm people-to-people exchanges between their two countries.

People-to-people exchanges is one of China and Indonesia’s four pillars of cooperation that include politics, the economy and maritime projects.

Wearing traditional Chinese and Indonesian garments, first lady Peng Liyuan hosted her Indonesian counterpart, Iriana Joko Widodo, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse – one of the most elegant settings in the Chinese capital.

First lady Iriana is in Beijing with her husband, Indonesian President Joko Widodo who pledged to boost trade with China – Indonesia’s largest trading partner. Iriana told Peng that she welcomed the prospect of more Chinese tourists to Indonesia. Peng said Indonesia is the second most popular destination for Chinese tourists.

“Iriana said she was “deeply touched”

Since 2015, Indonesia has offered visa-free travel for Chinese visitors who can stay for up to 30 days.

In 2017, more than 2.05 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia – nearly 15 percent of the country’s international travelers that year.

There is a hope that a gradual easing in travel restrictions will reinvigorate Chinese tourism to Indonesia. Iriana said she was “deeply touched” when students from the China Conservatory of Music played Indonesian music with traditional Chinese instruments.

It was the type of cultural exchange that can strengthen ties between countries and break through cultural language barriers. “Music knows no borders,” said Peng.

In a joint statement, China and Indonesia said both nations will prioritize people-to-people exchanges, including the return of Indonesian students in China, supported by increasing the number of direct flights between the two countries.