Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi Tuesday said the economic and trade relationship between China and Indonesia is full of "vitality and potential," believing there is a bright future for cooperation between the two countries.

"As a result of the concerted efforts by both sides, economic and trade cooperation between our two countries has entered a new phase of sustained and sound development," Wu said during her meeting with Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Economy Affairs Aburizal Bakrie in Beijing.

"I am convinced that the cooperation will be even broader in the new era," she added.

Statistics of the Chinese Customs show that the two-way trade between China and Indonesia reached 13.5 billion US dollars in 2004, up 31.8 percent year-on-year.

During the first five months of this year, bilateral trade stood at 6.7 billion US dollars, a yearly rise of 37 percent.

Wu also applauded the sound relationship between the two Asian neighbors over recent years, which she said was lifted to a new high after China and Indonesia announced the establishment of strategic partnership in April this year during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to the three Southeast Asian nations of Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Bakrie extended gratitude to China for providing gratis and preferential loans to Indonesia, and expressed willingness to further expand trade exchanges and cooperation with China.

He also hoped more Chinese businesses could go to Indonesia for investment, saying that the Indonesian government would create a favorable environment to facilitate Chinese investors.

Bakrie is here as guest of Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai for talks about economic and trade cooperation.

Source: Xinhua