Mr Pence is due to be officially welcomed by Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove at Admiralty House, before the U.S. vice president sits down for talks with Mr Turnbull and government officials from both Australia and the US.
Indonesia is on Trump's trade hit list of nations that he considers the U.S.is losing out to in trade, and USA company Freeport-McMoran Inc., which operates the world's largest copper mine in the Indonesian province of Papua, is in a protracted dispute with the Indonesian government. Australia has fought alongside the U.S.in every major conflict since World War I, and is one of the largest contributors to the USA -led military campaign in Iraq and Syria. "But Jakarta remains cautiously optimistic", said Poling.
Dougal Robinson, a research fellow with the United States Studies Centre in Sydney, said the timing of Pence's visit to Australia - a mere three months into Trump's presidency - is significant.
The US media had reported that US President Donald Trump abruptly cut short the call due to differences over a refugee resettlement agreement that Australia had signed with the Barack Obama-led US administration, dubbed a "dumb deal" by the new US President.
Pence foreshadowed the potential for trade negotiations with Indonesia, and Widodo said that come next month the nations will establish a team to "discuss the arrangement of trade and investment bilateral between the countries based on the principles of win-win solution".
"Of course, it would have been more helpful to know details about what the administration considers "trade abuses" and how it hopes to address them before publicly singling out countries". American companies have been doing business in Indonesia for years, and American products and services have contributed greatly to Indonesia's economic development.
Over the past six months, Indonesia has wrestled with mining giant Freeport McMoRan, demanding the company divest 51 percent of its shares in its Papua-based gold and copper mine, and has demanded that Google Inc. settle unpaid taxes of more than Dollars 400 million.
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After the accusations emerged, Trump said: "I think he shouldn't have settled; personally I think he shouldn't have settled". And there might also be global business pressures on its parent company, 21st Century Fox , that factored into the decision.
About 90 per cent of Indonesia's 255 million inhabitants are Muslim.
Trump's company, the Trump Organization, is active in Indonesia with plans to manage luxury resorts being built near the capital Jakarta and on the tourist island of Bali.
Jokowi said at the joint news conference with Pence that the two countries would "increase the strategic partnership. which will focus on cooperation and investments".
"As members of the business community, you can help us identify the barriers we need to break down", Pence said, referring to many businesspeople in the audience. And under President Trump we are firmly committed to continuing to collaborate on the security of both of our peoples.
Neither side disclosed any discussions about the disputes Indonesia has had with American companies of late.
".Finally, with President Trump's leadership, the United States intends to deepen our cultural ties with the nation and the good people of Indonesia".
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