China News Service, Jakarta, March 31: Why did Prabowo break the convention to visit China? Experts say this trip sends a positive signal
China News Service reporter Li Zhiquan
Prabowo Subyanto, the elected President of the Republic of Indonesia and Chairman of the Greater Indonesian Action Party, departed from Jakarta on March 31 for a visit to China. This is his first overseas trip after being elected as President.
The Secretariat of the Indonesian Ministry of National Defense announced on the same day that the visit was to strengthen cooperative relations between the two countries, which is very important for regional security and stability.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference that Mr. Prabowo made China the first country he visited after being elected as president, which fully reflects the high level of China-Indonesia relations.
Breaking convention and visiting China
On the 20th of this month, the Indonesian Election Commission announced the vote count results of the 2024 presidential election. 72-year-old Prabowo won the election. It has only been more than 10 days so far. According to regulations, he will not be officially sworn in until October this year.
"Prabowo's direct visit to China after he was elected president broke the convention and showed the particularity and importance of China in Indonesia's relations with other countries." Novi Basuki, an Indonesian sinologist who has long followed China, told China News Service Reporter, there is no history in Indonesian history where an elected president has traveled abroad before taking office and made China the first country he visited.
Shen Fahan, a researcher at the Institute of Strategic Studies at Indonesia's Gentala Institute, said Prabowo's choice of China as his first country to visit after being elected as president shows that he wants to bring closer relations between the two countries. At the same time, we express our friendship to the Chinese government, business community and people.
"In my opinion, through this move, he has sent a positive signal to his supporters and the international community: China is a very important country for the new Indonesian government in the future." Han Pei, director of the China-ASEAN Research Center at the University of Indonesia Humprey Arnaldo Russel analyzed that Prabowo also sent a message to Beijing that he greatly appreciates and appreciates China's support to Indonesia so far, and reiterated that China is Indonesia's "close friend."
Wang Xiaoming believes that Prabowo’s campaign slogan is “keberlanjutan” (continuity) to show that he will continue President Joko’s domestic and foreign policies. The reason why Prabowo made China the first country he visited after being elected president is not only to prove that he will continue Jokowi's friendly policy towards China, but more importantly, he wants to consolidate the pragmatic cooperation with China that Jokowi has already established.
Hope to strengthen relations between the two countries
The interviewed experts believe that Indonesia and China are currently deepening political mutual trust and achieving fruitful economic cooperation, and hope to further consolidate and strengthen relations between the two countries through Prabowo's visit.
Lin Zhenqiang, secretary-general of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association, said that economically, China has been Indonesia's largest trading partner for 10 consecutive years. He hopes that through Prabowo's visit, cooperation between the two countries in trade, investment, infrastructure construction and other fields can be further strengthened. .
In Wang Xiaoming's view, the relations between Indonesia and China during Jokowi's administration have been fruitful, the most eye-catching of which is the substantial increase in China's investment in Indonesia. Indonesians can benefit from the completion and opening of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway and the nickel smelting plant of Chinese-funded enterprises. The establishment of an intuitive experience of the authenticity of Chinese investment. He hopes to use Prabowo's visit to China as an opportunity to learn more about China's experience in poverty alleviation, so that the results of cooperation between Indonesia and China can benefit more Indonesians at the bottom.
"I hope that Prabowo's visit will further consolidate and strengthen relations between the two countries." Han Pei said that in addition, he also hopes that Indonesia, as the largest country in ASEAN, will continue to encourage ASEAN countries to cooperate with China to jointly maintain regional security and stability.
Shen Fahan said that Prabowo will continue Jokowi's policies, among which the landmark project is the new capital project, and he looks forward to Prabowo bringing back more news about the new capital project from China. (over)