Indonesian President Prabowo To Visit China This Week

Muhammad Irfan Published November 05, 2024 | 02:40 PM

Beijing, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Nov, 2024) Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto will visit China and meet leader Xi Jinping this week, both nations said Tuesday -- his first foreign tour as he seeks a more prominent position for Jakarta on the world stage.

The 73-year-old ex-general's state visit will take place from Friday to Sunday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement.

Beijing said the visit would aim to "push China-Indonesia relations... to a new level".

"China is ready to work with Indonesia to take this visit as an opportunity to consolidate high-level political mutual trust," the foreign ministry's Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

Xi will hold a welcoming ceremony for the Indonesian leader and the two will hold talks, she said.

Prabowo will also meet with Premier Li Qiang and number three official Zhao Leji, Mao added.

Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Roy Soemirat confirmed the visit to AFP.

Prabowo was sworn in on October 20, pledging to stick to Jakarta's traditionally non-aligned foreign policy while making the world's fourth-most populous nation more active abroad.

Beijing and Jakarta are key economic allies, but the world's largest archipelago nation is trying to stop foreign vessels from fishing in its waters, saying it costs the economy billions of Dollars annually.

Last month, Indonesia drove a Chinese coast guard ship from contested waters in the South China Sea three times.

Chinese vessels have occasionally entered Indonesia-claimed areas of the North Natuna Sea at the southern edge of the South China Sea, drawing protests from Jakarta.