Massive Demo, Foreign Minister Sugiono Vice President Prabowo At China's SCO Summit

JAKARTA - Foreign Minister Sugiono was appointed to replace Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit which took place on August 31, September 1, 2025 in Tianjin, China.

Foreign Minister Sugiono landed at Tianjin Binhai International Airport on Sunday, August 31 at 15:13 local time. His arrival was greeted directly by the Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia Djauhari Oratmangun, the Director of the Pacific and Oceania of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Adi Dzulfuat, as well as a number of related officials. He was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmantha Nasir.

The day before, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said that President Prabowo had postponed his departure to China to remain domestically monitoring the development of the national situation.

"President Prabowo's decision was taken with great care and still upholds good relations with the Chinese government," said Prasetyo on Saturday, August 30 evening.

Previously, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced Prabowo would attend with 22 other heads of countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He is also scheduled to attend a military parade commemorating China's 80-year victory in the War Against Japan's Aggression and Anti-Fascist World War on September 3, 2025.

However, the plan failed in line with the increasing demonstrations in Indonesia since August 25, which then expanded to various major cities. The situation heated up after an online motorcycle taxi driver, Affan Kurniawan, was run over by a Brimob tactical vehicle on Thursday, August 28.

China currently holds the SCO-circular presidency for the 2024-2025 period. This organization was founded by six countries, namely China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Members then increased with the entry of India and Pakistan in 2017, Iran in 2023, and Belarus in 2024, bringing the present to 10 countries.

Apart from permanent members, SCO has two monitoring countries 'Mongolia and Afghanistan' as well as 14 dialogue partners, including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, to the United Arab Emirates. At this year's meeting, special invitations were also given to several non-member countries, including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

The SCO Plus summit will be chaired directly by Chinese President Xi Jinping and attended by invited country leaders. This year, SCO carries the theme SCO Sustainable Development Year with a focus on cooperation in the fields of poverty alleviation, food security, health, green development, industrialization, to the digital economy.

China also submitted two special documents to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's Resistance War against Japan's Aggression as well as the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (UN).