It is the right time for Indonesia and China, which Tuesday celebrated 16 years of their normalized ties, to reflect on what they have achieved in those years, said a commentary published in The Jakarta Post newspaper.

Sixteen years ago, then Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng and then Indonesian President Soeharto stood together at the Merdeka Palacein Jakarta, watching as their respective foreign ministers Qian Qichen and Ali Alatas signed an official document marking the resuming of diplomatic ties between the two countries, which was suspended in 1967.

"Witnessing the normalization of ties between China and Indonesia is so far the most unforgettable experience of my career as a journalist," said the commentary written by senior journalist Kornelius Purba.

China's economy continues to boom in recent years, the commentary said, adding that the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries refrained from being too open about their economic ties with China until 1990.

But now Indonesia is lagging behind other ASEAN members in benefiting from the Chinese economic miracle, it said.

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2006)