Chinese premier lands in Indonesia for official visit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang landed in Jakarta on Saturday for an official visit to Indonesia at the invitation of Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Following the visit, Li will also travel to Malaysia and attend the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council)-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 26-28.

Li arrived at the Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport on Saturday afternoon, and was welcomed by Indonesia's Minister of Investment and Downstream Industry Rosan Roeslani, Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Wang Lutong, and other officials at the airport.

China and Indonesia are friends and neighbors across the sea and close partners with a shared future, Li said upon his arrival, adding that this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-Indonesia diplomatic ties, which have maintained steady growth.

The traditional friendship has grown stronger over time and practical cooperation has yielded rich fruits, Li said.

Li recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Prabowo met twice last year, reached an important consensus on building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future with regional and global influence, lifted bilateral ties to new heights, and opened new opportunities for both sides to deepen cooperation in various fields.

China stands ready to work with Indonesia to keep consolidating cooperation in the "five pillars" of politics, economy, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, maritime affairs and security, Li said.

He urged both sides to enrich the China-Indonesia community with a shared future, join hands to pursue modernization, and make greater contributions to regional and global peace, stability and development.

Li noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference. Over the past 70 years, the Bandung Spirit of solidarity, friendship and cooperation has provided guidance for the independent and self-reliant development of Asian and African countries, injected impetus into the unity and cooperation of the Global South countries, and become an important norm of international relations, he said.

At present, the world is undergoing accelerating changes unseen in a century, and all countries face many common challenges in their development, he said, stressing that as major developing countries and important members of the Global South, China and Indonesia should further carry forward the Bandung Spirit, strengthen solidarity and coordination, promote the practice of true multilateralism, work together to address challenges, so as to boost and share prosperity.

During his visit, Li will hold talks with Indonesian leaders and attend events of the business community.

Chinese premier lands in Indonesia for official visit

Chinese premier lands in Indonesia for official visit

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests