Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday called for efforts from both sides to strengthen trade and investment cooperation between China and Indonesia.

"China attaches importance to its strategic partnership with Indonesia," Wen told Speaker Marzuki Alie of the Indonesian House of Representatives at Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the central government in downtown Beijing.

During a 50-minute meeting, Wen said China is ready to work with Indonesia to support each other, conduct hand-in-hand cooperation and seek common development of the two countries.

China and Indonesia are experiencing "a crucial period for national construction and development," Wen said, adding both countries need a harmonious, stable and friendly external environment and share broad common interests.

He urged the two countries to enhance high-level exchange, take the advantage of the free trade zone between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), facilitate two-way investment and promote people-to-people contact.

He also proposed the two sides enhance coordination on international and regional issues, jointly promote China-ASEAN ties and East Asian cooperation, and safeguard the interests of developing countries.

Marzuki, who is heading a congressional delegation, hailed the friendship and the strategic partnership between his country and China.

Indonesia will deepen cooperation with China through the China-ASEAN free trade zone, and welcomes more Chinese enterprises to make investment there, he said.

Indonesia has become a major trade partner of China in the regional bloc of ASEAN, with the bilateral trade volume hitting 42.75 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.