China has expressed its interest in bringing its private firms to invest in agriculture in areas in the border region of Kalimantan, a top official said on Monday.

"The investment can bring employment to areas bordering with Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines," Indonesia’s Agriculture Minister Amran Sulaiman said after a meeting with China’s Deputy Agriculture Minister Zhang Taolin in Jakarta. Indonesia and China are discussing opportunities to increase agricultural trade between their two countries.

Amran said border areas in Kalimantan were on the government’s development priority list to unlock their economic potential, adding that cattle, sugar and corn were among the commodities expected to be developed together with China.

Zhang invited Amran to visit China to discuss the partnership further.

"We are interested in what Minister Amran has offered, and we are looking forward to welcoming him in December," Zhang said through an interpreter. (dmr)