Indonesian leader's visit set to advance ties

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will start a three-day visit to China on Friday, his first foreign trip since taking office about two weeks ago.

It will be the 73-year-old former Indonesian defense minister's second visit to China within the year. Prabowo chose the country as his first overseas destination after winning the presidential election in March.

Such a gesture "speaks volumes about the great importance he attaches to the growth of China-Indonesia relations", Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday at a news briefing.

China stands ready to work with Indonesia to leverage this visit to cement high-level political mutual trust and deepen all-around strategic cooperation, in order to give strong impetus to the modernization efforts of both nations and contribute to regional and global prosperity, Mao said.

Recent years have witnessed intensive high-level exchanges between China and Indonesia, with cooperation across various sectors benefiting the two peoples.

Former Indonesian president Joko Widodo had visited China eight times and met with President Xi Jinping 12 times during his tenure, leading the two countries to open a new chapter in jointly building a community with a shared future.

Last month, as Xi's special representative, Vice-President Han Zheng attended the inauguration of Prabowo in Jakarta.

Du Lan, deputy director and an associate fellow at the China Institute of International Studies' Department for Asia-Pacific Studies, said Prabowo's visit aims to further elevate bilateral engagements across multiple sectors.

"This visit will not only benefit Indonesia and China, but also holds positive implications for the whole region and the world," she added.

Prabowo has made economic development a priority for his new government, pledging to adhere to Jakarta's traditionally nonaligned foreign policy while pursuing a more active role in international affairs.

Du highlighted the huge potential for economic cooperation between the two nations, saying that cooperation with China is crucial for Indonesia's efforts to achieve its development goals.

Bilateral trade between China and Indonesia surpassed $100 billion last year, with China maintaining its position as Indonesia's largest trading partner for the past 11 years. Furthermore, Indonesia is China's second-largest investment destination among the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Du noted that against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, the Asia-Pacific region — especially Southeast Asia — is increasingly becoming an arena for major power competition.

China and Indonesia, as key members of the Global South, share a commitment to strategic independence and true multilateralism, she said.

"Beijing and Jakarta, by strengthening strategic coordination across multiple platforms, contribute to building an equal and orderly multipolar world as well as a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization," she added.

zhaojia@chinadaily.com.cn