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China Plays Significant Role in Asia: Indonesian Minister
A senior Indonesian official said Friday that China plays a significant role in maintaining the political and security stability in the Asian region and hoped its role will be maintained in the future.
"Yes, it is clear that China has played a significant role in creating stability in the region. And we hope the role will be maintained in the future," Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.
"China and other big countries in the region such as India and Japan also have to maintain their roles in creating stability in Asia," he added.
Considering the Taiwan issue as an internal affair of the Chinese government, Sudarsono hoped that it will be handled well.
"We leave such a matter to those who are concerned, namely the Chinese government. We will not make any intervention in their domestic affairs," he said, hoping that relationship between Indonesia and China will be better and better in the future. In connection with the Association of Southeast Asian Nation ( ASEAN), the minister hoped that China will be more active in holding dialogues (with ASEAN members).
"And we want that China will also be more active in talks with Indonesia through ASEAN," Sudarsono said, adding that the relations between China and ASEAN members could also be strengthened.
"Beside China, we also hope that Japan and India will join hands to build what I call as an Asian identity based on the dignity and cultural principles of Asian nations," he said.
"We also have to consider creating a joint preventive measures strategy, involving China, Japan, India, Indonesia and other big countries in the region (to prevent possible threats from outside region)," he said.
"But we don't hope that Asia will be an exclusive region. Our relations with Asian countries should be strengthened, but we also have to maintain our relations with countries outside Asia, such as the United States," Sudarsono added.
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