Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xie Feng said a photo exhibition organized under the Maritime Silk Road theme will strengthen bilateral relations between Indonesia and China.

"This photo exhibition will strengthen bilateral relations and improve cooperation between Indonesia and China. The Indonesians will know China from up close through this event," the Ambassador said here on Tuesday.

The photo exhibition has been organized by the Chinese Embassy in Jakarta and the Chinese Council of Information Office.

At this exhibition, the visitors can see pictures taken in cities of Quanzhou, Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, Guangzhou, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Nanjing and Ningbo.

These cities cover the eight maritime silk roads and represent all the five elements of philosophy, namely gold, wood, water, fire and earth.

The ambassador said during the first semester of 2016, the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia had reached 830 thousand, an increase of 43 percent when compared with the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the former Indonesian Ambassador to China, Sudrajat, said the number of Indonesians of Chinese descent is estimated at over 12 million.

"But only 20 million of Indonesians know about China," he added.

Sudrajat said Indonesia and China have the same interests.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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