- Chinese President Xi Jinping meets Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, April 1, 2024
Beijing: Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto arrived in Beijing on Sunday, making his first overseas visit after he secured a victory in the election of February 2024.
Chinese President Xi Jinping held meeting with President, who serves as defense minister, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, April 1, 2024. Chinese President Xi Jinping invited his future Indonesian counterpart from Southeast Asia’s largest country.
During Prabowo’s meeting with the Chinese president, Xi told Prabowo that China was willing to enhance “comprehensive strategic cooperation” with Indonesia and make positive contributions to regional and world peace, said Brig. Gen. Edwin Adrian Sumantha, spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.
Prabowo expressed the hope to Xi that the largest country in Asia and the largest one in Southeast Asia could continue strengthening their strategic partnership, Edwin said.
“Regarding defense cooperation, I view China as one of the key partners in ensuring regional peace and stability,” Prabowo said, according to a statement released by the Indonesian defense ministry.
“I am also committed to fulfilling Indonesia’s Minimum Essential Force (MEF), including increasing defense industry cooperation and productive dialogue,” the Indonesian president-elect said.
Lin, in an official release from the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry, underscored that China was the first country to be visited by Prabowo after he was elected as president. This, he said, reflects strong relations between Indonesia and China.
According to him, the visit is a big opportunity to improve traditional friendships, deepen strategic cooperation, and synergize development strategies to set a good example for developing nations.
Also, President Xi, in an official presidential letter dated March 20, 2024, congratulated Prabowo after his victory in the 2024 General Elections was announced by the General Elections Commission (KPU). The letter was delivered by the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang at the office of the Defense Ministry in Jakarta on March 21, 2024.
Beside meeting Xi, Prabowo would hold talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Defense Minister Dong Jun before leaving for Japan on Tuesday, where he was to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Defense Minister Minoru Kihara, officials said.
Prabowo’s trip to China and Japan – a close ally of the United States – is also his first foreign journey since he won the Feb. 14 presidential election.
Last year, Indonesia became the largest recipient of Chinese investment in the Southeast Asia region with a figure reaching U.S. $7.3 billion, according to data from the State’s Investment Coordinating Board.
In October 2023, Erick Thohir, State-Owned Enterprises minister, said the Indonesia-China Business Forum had resulted in 31 business cooperation agreements reaching at least 200 trillion rupiah ($15.5 billion).
Even so, he added there is still potential for cooperation of up to $28.6 billion with China covering infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and tourism.
