Indonesia, China plan second Forum

Indonesia and China are planned to hold another high-level business and government meeting this year as relations between both countries, particularly in energy sector, have strengthened.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Tuesday that the Indonesia-China Forum II would among others discuss the recent agreement signed by Vice President Yusuf Kalla and his Chinese counterpart Zeng Qinghong on the development of a number of power plants in Indonesia.

Under the agreement signed in China during Kalla?s recent visit to the country, China will help Indonesia realize its ?crash-program? of building 10,000 MW coal fired power plants within the next years.

The first Indonesia-Chinese Forum was held in Bali in 2002. It was held following the aggressive acquisitions of Indonesian oil and gas fields by Chinese companies. During the first Forum, Chinese and Indonesian companies signed billions of dollars worth of projects, particularly in energy sector. (Alex)