Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

Vice President Vincent C. Siew on the morning of July 30 met with the Indonesian delegation to The 15^th Joint Economic Cooperation Conference between and . Meeting the delegation at the Presidential Building, Vice President Siew extended a warm welcome to the visitors on behalf of the ROC government.

Vice President Siew praised Mr. Agum Gumelar, Chairman of the Taiwan Committee of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, saying that he has held a number of important government positions over the years and is also influential in the business community. The vice president said Mr. Gumelar holds a high position in ’s political and economic circles. Meanwhile, Mr. Sofjan Wanandi, Chairman of the Indonesian Employers’ Association, is a renowned economist and is also a leader in ’s business community, the vice president said. Vice President Siew said he has known the two for a long time and they are old friends of . He said he is delighted to have this opportunity to meet these friends at the Presidential Building.

Vice President Siew said that while and do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, bilateral ties are still quite close, particularly in the area of trade and economy. plays a leadership role in ASEAN nations and is the world’s fourth most populous country. In addition, it is an important country in the Muslim community as it has the largest population of Muslims of any country in the world. The vice president said that the economic cooperation consultations between the two countries are now in their 15^th year. Over the years, the conference has served as an important mechanism and bridge between the private and official sectors in and . The vice president added that the conference has yielded many contributions to bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Vice President Siew said that this is a perfect time for the delegation from to be visiting . He especially pointed out that in the wake of warming relations between the two sides of the , the new government hopes to further strengthen its relations with ASEAN, boosting exchanges with the ASEAN countries in many areas. The vice president stressed that one of the objectives behind the government’s efforts to improve relations with Mainland is that it hopes this will reduce Mainland ’s interference regarding in the international community. He said that maintains quite close ties with ASEAN countries in the areas of trade and economy, labor and tourism. He added that while everyone is discussing the possible ASEAN Plus One or ASEAN Plus Three frameworks, it is wrong to isolate . The vice president said should be included as a dialogue partner in an expanded ASEAN framework.

The guests expressed their appreciation to Vice President Siew for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with them. They then exchanged opinions with the vice president on subjects such as investment in and tourism.

The Indonesian delegation to The 15^th Joint Economic Cooperation Conference between and was accompanied to the Presidential Building in the morning by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Ching-shan Hou and Mr. Suhartono, Representative of the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to .