What Prabowo China, US trips say about Indonesian commitment to non-aligned foreign policy

Prabowo visited both the US and China on his first trip abroad as president, as analysts note a more ‘personal approach’ to foreign policy

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Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (left) shakes hands with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their meeting in Beijing on November 9. Photo: AP

Published: 12:00pm, 21 Nov 2024Updated: 9:40pm, 21 Nov 2024

Indonesia’s new leader Prabowo Subianto has signalled his commitment to a non-aligned foreign policy by visiting both China and the United States on his first trip abroad as president, analysts say, underscoring his balancing act amid rising superpower tensions.

Prabowo’s hands-on approach to foreign engagements was evident during his first international tour following his inauguration in October, which included stops in China and the US, as well as Peru for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and Brazil for the G20 Leaders’ summit.

Amid an increasingly tense rivalry between China and the US, Prabowo ensured he visited both on his first trip, according to Abdul Rahman Yaacob, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia programme.

“Prabowo tried to maintain the image of Indonesia being non-aligned and to exercise Indonesia’s free and active foreign policy,” he said.

Notably, Prabowo held meetings with Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, his Chinese and US counterparts, and also shared on social media a phone call with US president-elect Donald Trump in which both leaders expressed their admiration for one another.

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Indonesian leader Prabowo Subianto meets Xi Jinping on first overseas visit

Indonesia’s non-aligned foreign policy was established in the late 1940s to maintain independence from competing superpower blocs during the Cold War. This approach led to Indonesia playing a pivotal role in founding the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961 and consistently avoiding alignment with major powers while actively engaging in international diplomacy.