Prabowo's US and China tour shows Indonesia's foreign policy ambition

President will refrain from taking sides, focus on building relationships: Analyst

- Hariz Baharudin

Just over three weeks into his presidency, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is wasting no time staking his nation's place on the global stage.

In a whirlwind diplomatic debut, he visited both China and the US within a single week, showcasing Jakarta's ambition to maintain balanced ties with the rival superpowers.

By engaging with the two economic giants and mapping out further strategic visits, Mr Prabowo, who took office on Oct 20, is breathing life into Indonesia's "bebas aktif" independent and active - foreign policy, emphasizing a bold, multifaceted approach to international relations.

On Nov 12, Mr Prabowo met US President Joe Biden at the White House, where they discussed a host of issues, including climate change, the Middle East conflict and the situation in the South China Sea.

This meeting was preceded by a phone call from Mr Prabowo to President-elect Donald Trump.

In a video shared on his social media accounts after landing in Washington, Mr Prabowo congratulated Trump, saying that he was willing to fly to "wherever" to congratulate the former businessman personally.

Mr Prabowo arrived straight in the US from China, where he met President Xi Jinping on his first overseas trip since taking office.

During his visit from Nov 8 to 10, Mr Prabowo stressed that China is an important friend and partner.

The Indonesian leader's visits to the two superpowers show that foreign policy is a priority and that Jakarta is concerned about its position in the international arena, said Mr Made Supriatma, an ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute visiting fellow.

Even before officially becoming president, Mr Prabowo had made it clear that foreign policy would be a central focus of his administration.

The former defense minister visited more than 20 countries in the eight months between Indonesia's presidential election on Feb 14, in which he secured more than 58 percent of the vote, and his inauguration.