Riau Islands explores multi-sector cooperation with China’s Hubei

Indonesia’s Riau Province and China’s Hubei Province on Tuesday explored the possibility of cooperation in several sectors, including agriculture and tourism.

“We really appreciate the visit of Hubei delegates to the Riau Islands. This is a very good first step towards strengthening relations between the two provinces,” Riau Islands Governor Ansar Ahmad said during a meeting with the Hubei delegation in Tanjungpinag city on Tuesday.

The Chinese delegation consisted of Hubei People’s Standing Committee Vice Director Liu Xiaoming and other officials. Chinese Consul General Xu Chunjuan and Attaché Cheng Tong also joined the visit.

Governor Ansar suggested that Riau Islands and Hubei establish cooperation between the partner provinces, which would open up wider economic opportunities.

“We need to hold a technical meeting immediately to continue exploring cooperation. It is necessary to discuss in detail feasible cooperation schemes, especially those related to the agriculture and tourism sectors,” he said.

The governor added that his province is also interested in establishing cooperation in the education sector by initiating a student exchange program that will help the province improve the quality of its human resources.

He expressed hope that the delegation from Hubei would gain a positive impression of the Riau Islands during their visit.

“We hope the delegation will help promote the beauty and potential of the Riau Islands to the people of Hubei and encourage them to visit the province,” he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the Riau Islands Tourism Office, Guntur Sakti, said that during the visit, the Chinese delegates toured a pineapple plantation and other agricultural areas in Bintan District.

They also visited some tourist spots such as Patung 1000 (Thousand Statues) Vihara and Sata Sahasra Buddha Pagoda in Tanjungpinang city.

“They have experienced first-hand the potential and competitiveness of the Riau Islands in the agriculture and tourism sectors. We look forward to mutually beneficial cooperation between the Riau Islands and Hubei,” he added.

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