Openness, Exchange, and Cooperation: Mutual Understanding is the Premise of Friendly Relations

NINGBO,China,July 7,2022 -- A news report from NBGD:

As an Indonesian saying goes,"mutual understanding is the premise of friendly relations".Arief S. Trinugroho,Assistant to North Sumatera Governor for Economic Development and Acting Head of North Sumatera Investment Board,stated that "there are plenty of cooperation opportunities for us,especially regarding the trade of processed agricultural and fishery products.Crude palm oil and its derivatives,for example,are the main export products of North Sumatera. We can also enhance cooperation through cultural and tourism cooperation,which can bring our citizens even closer together than through business cooperation."Medan is a city with a pleasant climate and many tourist destinations,while Ningbo is a city with a long history and rich culture,exemplified by its Maritime Silk Road history,Hemudu Neolithic Culture,and the tradition of book collecting. Going forward,the cultural and tourism exchanges between the two cities will no doubt enhance our mutual understanding and amity.

Investment ties between Ningbo and Indonesia enjoy sound momentum.As of the end of 2021,Ningbo has established 53 overseas entities in Indonesia,representing $1.25 billion dollars of registered investment. Indonesia has had 94 foreign direct investment projects in Ningbo,representing $685 million of contractual foreign investment and $236 million of actual foreign investment. These investments were made in areas such as edible oil processing,pulp manufacturing,hardware,electronics,mold manufacturing,and trade brokerage. As two-way trade continues to grow,Ningbo is welcoming more Indonesian companies with open arms.

"I am really amazed at Ningbo's development",exclaimed Chen Zonghu,Chairman of the China Committee of the Sister Cities Association of Medan,when he accompanied the North Sumatra delegation to Ningbo for the first time in 2019. Chen added,"I was deeply impressed that the turnover efficiency of Ningbo Zhoushan Port was so high! We can definitely learn a lot from your port!"

Chen believes that languages are vital in facilitating the contact between Ningbo and Medan,as well as the cultural exchanges between China and Indonesia. "I hope we can organize language training courses in both cities,teaching Indonesian in Ningbo and Chinese in Universitas Sumatera Utara." He also hopes to see Ningbo and Medan establish formal sister-city or friendship-city relations,so as to build even stronger bonds.