Defense Minister Prabowo Visits China To Meet Xi Jinping And Li Qiang

JAKARTA - Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, who is also an elected presidential candidate, is scheduled to visit China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang.

Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Brigadier General TNI Edwin Adrian Sumantha when contacted in Jakarta, Sunday, explained the Minister of Defense's visit to China to strengthen cooperation between Indonesia and China, especially in the defense sector.

"This visit is part of the two countries' ongoing efforts in strengthening dialogue and strategic cooperation that are very important to regional security and stability," said Edwin Adrian Sumantha.

Prabowo departs from Jakarta to Beijing on Sunday. Prabowo's visit in China is scheduled to last until Tuesday (2/4).

During his visit to China, Prabowo was accompanied by his son, Ragowo Hediprasetyo, and a number of officials. The ranks of government officials and the Indonesian House of Representatives who participated in Prabowo visited China, namely Deputy Chairman of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives Sugiono, Special Assistant for Defense Management Lt. Gen. TNI (Ret.) Sjafrie Sjasoeddin, Head of the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) Lt. Gen. Yudi Abrimantyo, Director General of Defense Strategy of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Major General TNI Bambang Trisnohadi, Director General of Defense Plans of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Rear Admiral TNI Supo Dwi Among, and Head of the Defense Facilities Agency of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense, Young Marshal TNI Yusuf Jauhari.

Prabowo's visit to China was first announced by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian during a press conference on Friday (29/3). Lin mentioned Prabowo's visit at President Xi's invitation.

Lin, in an official broadcast issued by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that China is the first country Prabowo has visited since he became a elected presidential candidate. For Lin, it shows the close relationship between Indonesia and China.

"This visit is a great opportunity to continue to improve traditional friendships, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation, and synergize development strategies better in order to set a good example of developing countries embracing a common future," said Lin.

President Xi in the presidential official letter dated March 20, 2024, congratulated Prabowo on his election as the 8th president of the Republic of Indonesia. The Indonesian KPU on March 20, 2024 appointed Prabowo Subianto as the elected presidential candidate in the 2024 Presidential Election (Pilpres).

The letter was submitted to Prabowo by the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Lu Kang at the Indonesian Ministry of Defense Office, Jakarta, March 21, 2024.

"I am ready to work with you to direct the Indonesian-China community to be more advanced, as well as make this an example of developing countries working together for joint development goals, which are beneficial to the people of the two countries, and contributing to welfare as well as stability in the region and the world," President Xi said in his letter to Prabowo.