BEIJING – Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto will visit China next week, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 29, his first visit to a key Jakarta trade partner since his election.

On the invitation of President Xi Jinping, Mr Prabowo – who takes office later in 2024 – will visit China from March 31 until April 2, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced.

Mr Xi in March congratulated Mr Prabowo, Indonesia’s Defence Minister, on his victory and said he attached “great importance” to relations with the archipelago nation of nearly 280 million people.

China is one of the biggest sources of foreign direct investment in Indonesia.

In 2023, Jakarta inaugurated South-east Asia’s first high-speed rail line, a multibillion-dollar project backed by Beijing.

Chinese companies have poured billions into natural resources in Indonesia in recent years, particularly the nickel sector.

That spending has stoked unrest over pay and working conditions at several Chinese-funded nickel-processing plants, as Jakarta pushes to become a major player in the supply chain for electric vehicles. AFP