Multipurpose visit of the Indonesian president

Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomes President Prabowo Subianto in Beijing on September 11. (Source: Xinhua)

While Mr. Widodo participated in multilateral conferences in three countries (China, Myanmar and Australia) during his first trip in 2014, Mr. Prabowo chose to make official visits to five important countries, including two major powers. world.

The itinerary begins in China (8-10/11), then heads to the United States (from 11/11), followed by the APEC Summit in Peru, the G20 Summit in Brazil, a visit to the United Kingdom and possibly a few stopovers in the United States. Middle East. President Prabowo will be accompanied on this long trip by Foreign Minister Sugiono, Minister of Downstream Investment and Development Rosan Roeslani, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya and many other cabinet officials.

With the education platform Having international experience and coming from an intellectual family, Prabowo shows considerable confidence in foreign policy making.

Many calculations

The choice of China as its first destination reflects Indonesia's strategic and diplomatic pragmatism under new President Prabowo. With commercial turnover reaching $139 billion in 2023 and its status as the second largest investor ($7.4 billion), China plays a key role in the archipelago's economic development ambitions.

Deals worth a total of $10 billion were signed during the visit, focused on strategic projects such as nickel processing and infrastructure, promising to disrupt the vehicle industry's global supply chain electrical.

In particular, upgrading its nickel processing capacity will not only help Indonesia better utilize its natural resources, but also position the country as a key link in Asia's electric vehicle manufacturing value chain. Notably, this is Prabowo's second visit to China in 2024, reflecting Jakarta's growing preference for Beijing.

However, under Prabowo, Indonesia is pursuing a more multidimensional foreign policy strategy, as evidenced by the rapid expansion of its relations with many strategic partners. Besides a visit to the United States with plans to meet President Joe Biden and the possibility of meeting President-elect Donald Trump, Prabowo also expressed his ambition to expand his geopolitical space through visits to Peru, Brazil and in the United Kingdom.

In particular, the intention to join BRICS and the plan for the first joint naval exercise with Russia in Surabaya clearly reflect Indonesia's balance of power strategy. President Prabowo skillfully implements the policy of active non-alignment. With this approach, Jakarta aims to both strengthen its position in emerging economies and create leverage in its relations with traditional powers, thereby helping Indonesia maintain its strategic independence and its own development space in the context of increasingly fierce competition between the United States and China.

Bilateral breakthrough

The results of the visit to China demonstrated a breakthrough in bilateral relations in many strategic areas. In addition to economic agreements worth $10 billion, the two sides reached important consensus on maritime security and joint operation in overlapping areas.

The agreement marks a step forward in resolving sensitive maritime issues, particularly amid growing tensions in the South China Sea. Moreover, China's new investment commitment, coupled with its status as the second largest foreign investor ($7.4 billion in 2023), reflects the enormous potential of bilateral economic relations.

Meanwhile, the visit to the United States takes place in a unique geopolitical context, with the country's politics in a period of transition and the two countries celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations. The agenda of Mr. Prabowos' trip to the United States focuses on long-term strategic pillars: food security, clean energy transition and regional stability. The 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations also provides impetus for both sides to reposition their strategic partnership, especially as Indonesia plays an increasingly important role in the Indo-Pacific security architecture. Binh Duong.

Maintain balance

President Prabowos' first foreign trip since taking office on 10/20 shows that Indonesia pursues an independent, dynamic and balanced foreign policy. Visits to China and the United States, as well as the intention to join BRICS and hold military exercises with Russia, reflect Indonesia's search for its own strategic space in the context of competition from large powers. This reflects an effort to expand its strategic space, as well as the ambition to strengthen the Southeast Asian country's position in the regional power structure.

In the context of the energy transition in the United States, the regional geopolitical landscape could experience remarkable changes. Geopolitical experts believe that relations between Indonesia and the United States have the potential to develop more strongly under the next administration of Donald Trump, in part due to the United States' pragmatic approach to problems. human rights.

However, Jakarta's relations with Beijing may face new challenges, stemming from disagreements over geopolitical issues in the South China Sea and great power competition in the region. Nonetheless, President Prabowo is seen as capable of maintaining a strategic balance while optimizing new opportunities for cooperation amid the US-China competition under President Trump 2.0.