President Prabowo’s Visit Bears Fruit: US and China Support Free Nutritious Food Program in Indonesia
President Prabowo Subianto’s working visits to the United States and China have brought positive results for Indonesia. The two major countries, the United States and China, have given full support for the “Food Supplementation and School Feeding Programme in Indonesia” or the Free Nutritious Food Program for school students. This program aims to provide nutritious food to school children across Indonesia, as part of efforts to improve the health and education of the younger generation.
In a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prabowo successfully agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indonesian and Chinese governments. This agreement includes funding from the Chinese government to support the nutritious food program to be implemented in Indonesia. The MoU was signed in a ceremony attended directly by both country leaders, demonstrating China’s commitment to improving the health of Indonesian people.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto revealed that China is willing to support this program because they have implemented a similar program in their own country. “Yes, they (the Chinese government) will ‘support’ because they have also implemented nutritious meals here,” said Airlangga. This proves that cooperation between Indonesia and China can contribute significantly to the welfare of Indonesian people, especially in providing healthy food for school children.
Similar support also came from US President Joe Biden, who expressed his commitment to support Prabowo’s program in providing nutritious food for school students and pregnant women in Indonesia. This statement was expressed in a Joint Statement uploaded on the official White House website on Wednesday (13/11/2024). “President Biden also expressed his support for Indonesia’s national program to provide nutritious and healthy food for school children and pregnant women,” wrote the official White House statement. This US support affirms Prabowo’s strategic role in strengthening bilateral relations that impact the welfare of Indonesian people.
Political analyst Ujang Komaruddin stated that the success of this working visit has aroused a sense of pride among Indonesian people and received wide attention, both at home and abroad. “So, if we analyze and observe what Mr. Prabowo has done as the 8th President of Indonesia, it has impressed all Indonesian people how he has experience, has good relations with many countries, many world leaders,” Ujang said.
This working visit becomes an important moment in Prabowo’s leadership, successfully gaining support from two world powers for a program that directly impacts Indonesian people. Support from China and the United States not only proves Prabowo’s diplomatic skills but also international commitment to improving the quality of life in Indonesia.
With this nutritious food program, it is hoped that Indonesian children will grow up healthy and smart, have a high enthusiasm for learning, and be able to contribute to nation-building in the future. This program is also expected to help reduce malnutrition rates in children and improve the overall quality of life of Indonesian people.
