Prabowo Warmly Welcomed in China

Prabowo is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Monday afternoon, and Chinese PM Li Qiang, the following day.

KEMENTERIAN PERTAHANAN RI

The Defense Minister, who is also the elected president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, arrived in Beijing, China, on Sunday (31/3/2024), to fulfill the invitation of the Chinese Government.

BEIJING, SUNDAY — The Minister of Defense, who is also the elected president of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, was warmly welcomed in Beijing, China, Sunday (31/3/2024). Shortly after getting off the plane, Prabowo received a bouquet of flowers from a little girl.

Prabowo expressed his thanks, then asked, ”What is your name? How old are you?”

Apart from being conveyed through a release from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, the welcome was also broadcast on Chinese television, CGTN and CCTV.

In a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Defense's Public Relations Bureau, it was mentioned that Prabowo was welcomed by Chinese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong as well as China's Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang and Indonesian Defense Attaché Brigadier General TNI (Mar) Benny Poltak in Beijing.

The entourage headed to Hotel Peninsula, Beijing, which is about one kilometer away from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. At the hotel, Prabowo and the entourage were welcomed by the Indonesian Ambassador to China, Djauhari Oratmangun.

Monday (1/4/2024) afternoon, Prabowo is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The next day, Tuesday (2/4/2024), he will continue his meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Chinese Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun.

Spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hua Chunying, stated on Friday (29/3/2024) that Prabowo had arrived to fulfill President Xi Jinping's invitation. China is the first country visited by Prabowo after being declared the winner of the 2024 Presidential Election by the General Election Commission of Indonesia on March 20, 2024.

Also read: China Becomes First Country Visited by Prabowo

Accompanying Prabowo on his visit to China were Vice Chairman of Commission I, Sugiono; Special Assistant to the Minister of Defense for Defense Management, Retired Lieutenant General Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin; Head of the Strategic Intelligence Agency (Bais) of the TNI, Lieutenant General Yudi Abrimantyo; Director General of Defense Strategy at the Ministry of Defense, Major General Bambang Trisnohadi; Director General of Defense Planning at the Ministry of Defense, Rear Admiral Supo Dwi Diantara; Head of the Defense Facilities Agency at the Ministry of Defense, Air Marshal Yusuf Jauhari; and Prabowo's son, Didit Ragowo Hediprasetyo.

Indonesia and China have established a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Xi Jinping in 2013.

AP PHOTO/MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing in March 2019. Xi is scheduled to receive the visit of Defense Minister, who is also the elected President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, in Beijing on Monday (1/4/2024).

Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General Edwin Adrian Sumantha said, Prabowo's visit to China was an ongoing effort to strengthen strategic dialogue and cooperation which is important for regional security and stability.

Indonesia together with ASEAN and China are regional economic pillars in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership scheme (RCEP) together with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. The RCEP economic cooperation includes countries with a total population of 2.3 billion people or almost 25 percent of the world's population and 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product (GDP).

Also read: "The Asian Way", the Best Way to Resolve the South China Sea Dispute

Although Indonesia is not a country involved in the disputes in the South China Sea with China, there is an overlap in the claims of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with China's claims based on the Nine-Dash Line submitted in the 1930s.

China is an important trading partner for Indonesia and the second largest investor in Indonesia. After visiting China, Prabowo is scheduled to continue his journey to Tokyo, Japan on 2-3 April 2024. The Japanese Embassy in Indonesia, through a written statement on Monday (1/4/2024), mentioned that Tokyo is in the process of arranging a meeting with Japanese government officials.