ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – The Indonesian Minister of Defense who is now the elected President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto visited China to meet with President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang.
Prabowo departed from Jakarta for Beijing, on Sunday, March 31 2024. Prabowo’s visit to China is scheduled to last until Tuesday, April 2 2024.
Head of the Public Relations Bureau of the Secretariat General of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Indonesia, Brigadier General TNI Edwin Adrian Sumantha, explained that Prabowo’s visit to China was to strengthen cooperative relations between the two countries, especially in the defense sector.
“This visit is part of the two countries’ ongoing efforts to strengthen strategic dialogue and cooperation which is very important for regional security and stability,” said Edwin Adrian Sumantha.
During his visit to China, Prabowo was accompanied by his son, Ragowo Hediprasetyo, and a number of officials. The ranks of government and DPR RI officials who accompanied Prabowo on his visit to China, namely Deputy Chairman of Commission I DPR RI Sugiono, Special Assistant to the Minister of Defense for Defense Management Lt. Gen. TNI (Ret.) Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, and Head of the TNI Strategic Intelligence Agency (BAIS) Lt. Gen. TNI Yudi Abrimantyo.
The General Chair of the Gerindra Party was also accompanied by all Ministry of Defense officials, namely the Director General of Defense Strategy, Major General TNI Bambang Trisnohadi, the Director General of Defense Plans, Rear Admiral TNI Supo Dwi Antara, and the Head of the Defense Facilities Agency, Rear Marshal TNI Yusufjauhari.
Plans for Prabowo’s visit to China were first announced by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian during a press conference on Friday, March 29 2024.
Lin said Prabowo’s visit was at the invitation of President Xi. Lin, in an official broadcast issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that China was the first country Prabowo visited since he became the elected president of Indonesia.
For Lin, this shows the close relationship between Indonesia and China.
“The visit is a great opportunity to continue enhancing traditional friendship, deepen comprehensive strategic cooperation, and better synergize development strategies to set a good example of developing countries embracing a common future,” Lin said.
President Xi in an official presidential letter dated March 20 2024 congratulated Prabowo on his election as the 8th president of the Republic of Indonesia.
“I am ready to work with you to direct the Indonesian-Chinese community to progress further, while at the same time making this an example of developing countries working together for common development goals, which are beneficial for the people of the two countries, and contribute to prosperity and stability in the region and the world,” said President Xi in his letter to Prabowo. (AT Network)
Check out other news and articles at Google News and WA Channel