Indonesia has received an informal request from neighboring Singapore to offer visa privilege for tourists from China who visited Singapore and are willing to extend trip to Indonesia, an official has said.

Thamrin Bachri, deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture in charge of international cooperation, was quoted Thursday by Bisnis Indonesia newspaper as saying that visa privilege will help boost arrivals from China.

According to the government figure, the number of Chinese tourists in Indonesia remains below 100,000.

"Whereas Chinese tourists account for more than 20 percent of foreign arrivals in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)," he said.

He said the Singapore Tourism Board has asked the ministry to consider the request but formal talks between Indonesia and Singapore have not been scheduled.

"If 10 percent of some 800,000 Chinese tourists visiting Singapore also make stop in Indonesia on transit visa facility, the national tourism industry will develop further," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 17, 2005)