President of Indonesia to Visit Silicon Valley’s tech giants on US trip

Indonesian president is scheduled to visit US's giant tech companies during his first trip in the United States. The trip will start on October 26 and it will be a five-day trip full of bilateral business agenda.

Joko Widodo's trip to US firstly announced on September 21 by Indonesia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi, on his bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"Enhancing the partnership between Indonesia and the United States will reflect priority and agenda of President Joko Widodo's cabinet", stated Retno Marsudi as reported on Metrotvnews.

The president's visit to US tech giants corporations was announced by Indonesia's Minister of Communication, Rudiantara, on an event in Jakarta on October 2. As reported on Vivanews, the president's meeting with tech giant in Silicon Valley will be held at the end of his US trip. It is reported that the president will visit Apple, Google, and Facebook during his trip.

According to Reuters, Joko Widodo plans to visit Apple to discuss Apple's investment in Indonesia's tin industry to supply the metal used in iPhone and other Apple products.

Previously, an environmental organization, Green Groups have accused Apple of sourcing tin for its metal supplies from suppliers that use child workers and violate environmental laws. Apple said, as reported on Reuters, it does not tolerate underage labor and is dedicated to the ethical sourcing of minerals.

By putting its investment to Indonesia's tin industry, Apple will ensure that the metal supplies produced in legal mines as Indonesia is the world's largest tin exporter.

During his US trip, Joko Widodo will also visit Google's headquarters. His meeting with Google will discuss improving wireless internet access to Papua and other remote Indonesian regions by using Google's smart balloons, Project Loon.

Google's Loon is one of the internet giant's potentially world-changing efforts since it could bring millions of people in remote places online and could deliver stable internet coverage when taking into account factors like wind.

The other US tech giants, Facebook, and Microsoft are also expected to have a meeting with the president. Joko Widodo wants these tech giants to join with Indonesian universities to establish education centers that will help make Indonesia a regional tech center.

The president will also meet executives from Freeport-McMoran Inc in Washington. The meeting will discuss Indonesian's law that would allow new contract negotiations to take place much earlier than currently allowed.