Jakarta – The Minister of Defense and president-elect, Prabowo Subianto, welcomed the visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, at the Ministry of Defense (Kemhan) office in Jakarta on Thursday, April 18.
Wang Yi, accompanied by his delegation, arrived around 10:58 AM WIB. Prabowo greeted him in front of the Kemhan building. The two then shook hands and entered the building.
“It is a great honor for me today to receive him. Thank you for such a warm welcome; I was well received in Beijing a few weeks ago,” said Prabowo.
Before meeting Wang Yi in Jakarta, Prabowo had met with Chinese President Xi Jinping; Chinese Prime Minister, Li Qiang; and the Chinese Minister of Defense, China Dong Jun, during an official visit in Beijing in early April 2024.
The meeting between Prabowo and Wang Yi was held privately. They discussed several areas of defense cooperation, including education, joint training, and the defense industry.
Indonesia and China are close partners with many bilateral collaborations. In the defense sector, both countries have had ongoing cooperation in education and training since the 1970s.
This educational cooperation continues to this day. Several Indonesian defense personnel are currently pursuing education in China, while some soldiers from the Bamboo Curtain country are also attending military education in Indonesia.
During the meeting, Wang Yi expressed gratitude for the warm reception extended by Prabowo. In addition to discussing bilateral relations between Indonesia and China, Wang Yi also congratulated Prabowo on his victory in the 2024 presidential election.
“Once again, allow me to congratulate Your Excellency, elected as the president of the Republic of Indonesia with the highest vote count in the history of Indonesia’s elections,” said Wang Yi.
The Chinese Foreign Minister stated that although building a great nation is a heavy task, he believes Indonesia will progress under Prabowo’s leadership.
“I am confident Your Excellency will shoulder the significant task of leading Indonesia towards national development and resurgence, ushering in an even brighter future under your leadership,” said Wang Yi.