US to sell 8 helicopters to Indonesia

The United States will sell eight elite Apache helicopters to Indonesia, the country announced late Thursday, in an effort to strengthen bilateral ties. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed plans for the deal with Indonesian counterpart Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and the State department has "informed Congress of the potential sale. "This agreement will strengthen our comprehensive partnership and help enhance security across the region," she told reporters, after they met for their third US-Indonesia joint commission. Obama administration is making putting a focus on boosting ties in the Asia-Pacific region, as it seeks to try to fend off China's influence, and Clinton visited Jakarta earlier this month. Hailing growing U.S.-Indonesian ties, Clinton said trade between the two nations topped USD 26 billion last year, while "investments in transportation, energy, and infrastructure are creating jobs and supporting economic growth." The United States was also spending some USD 600 million over the next five years to fund "clean energy development, child health and nutrition programs, and efforts to help make Indonesia's government more transparent and open," Clinton said. Indonesia and the United States had built a "strong foundation," she said, and alluding to tensions in the South China Seas added: "One of our most important concerns is promoting peace and stability in the Asia Pacific."