JAKARTA, Indonesia – Chinese President Xi Jinping is making his first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office, arriving in Indonesia to boost ties and economic partnerships with the region's biggest country.
He will meet his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Wednesday and become the first foreign leader to speak at the country's Parliament a day later.
The countries are expected to sign agreements on loans, mining, transportation and joint investment. Investment deals for monorails in the capital, Jakarta, and the West Java provincial capital of Bandung are also planned with all deals totaling $20 billion.
A currency swap that could be used to support Indonesia's sliding rupiah in a crisis is also expected.
China is Indonesia's second-largest trading partner and two-way trade reached $66 billion last year.
