Similarly, China is forging close diplomatic and political links with Indonesia which has deep reserves of oil as well as liquid natural gas. Until a few years ago, China and its government was considered an almost hostile power in Indonesia, and China was upset by what it considered the Indonesian government's discriminatory policies toward the ethnic Chinese population.
But now Lu is accorded first-rank status by the Indonesians. As a mark of China's burgeoning economic and political influence in Indonesia, Lu was Citibank's guest of honor this year at a retreat in Indonesia of some of the company's senior executives.
For some, Wen's performance in Bali was just one more illustration of China's regional comeback. Centuries ago, Chinese settled along the northern coast of Java, now the main island of Indonesia, as part of China's great epoch of Asian trade.
No one expects the Chinese comeback in quite those terms.
But Bower said: "I do feel the Chinese Monroe Doctrine is being built here in the region. As the Chinese get their act together and play on the world stage, this region is the first of a series of concentric circles."
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