President Prabowo Attends Official Visit to China, Observers Say Demonstrates Indonesian Leadership

Jakarta – Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in Beijing on Wednesday (September 3, 2025). The government confirmed his attendance at an official invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

International relations observer, Dinna Prapto Raharja, assessed that President Prabowo’s presence has strategic significance for Indonesia’s position.

“And I hope the President will follow up by keeping the global situation calm and not being provoked by Xi’s fiery rhetoric,” he said.

Dinna emphasized that Indonesia, as a middle power, needs direct communication with major countries in a stressful geopolitical situation. Prabowo’s visit, she said, is not merely symbolic but also demonstrates Indonesia’s active diplomacy to maintain regional and global stability.

Previously, Minister of State Secretary (Mensesneg) Prasetyo Hadi explained that the invitation had actually been scheduled since August 31 through Xi Jinping’s invitation to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

“President Prabowo Subianto departed for Beijing, China, to fulfill an invitation from President Xi Jinping. The invitation originally called for President Prabowo’s presence on August 31st. However, due to domestic dynamics, President Prabowo Subianto decided to postpone his departure,” said Prasetyo Hadi.

The State Secretary added that Prabowo only decided to depart after the national security situation was deemed stable again.

“He has been monitoring the situation for the past day and has received reports from all relevant officials that public life is gradually returning to normal,” he said. He added that the Chinese government has also specifically requested that the President attend, at least at the military parade in Beijing.

During the brief visit, President Prabowo also held a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People. The meeting resulted in several important agreements to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries. Xi expressed his appreciation for Prabowo’s presence, which he considered a reflection of his strong commitment to the Indonesia-China friendship.*