China-Indonesia. Photo: VCG

President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto will pay a state visit to China from Friday to Sunday at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to a Reuters report, Prabowo is set to embark on a visit to five countries, with China as the first stop. This schedule highlights the Prabowo government's strong emphasis on deepening China-Indonesia relations. As early as the end of March this year, Prabowo chose China as his first destination as president-elect, signaling the new Indonesian administration's desire to expand cooperation and enhance mutual trust between the two countries.

Prabowo adopted "keberlanjutan" (continuity) as his campaign slogan and has retained the core policy team from the previous administration in his new cabinet, appointing 16 officials who previously served in Joko Widodo's cabinet. This choice reflects his recognition of Widodo's diplomatic approach and indicates a commitment to continuing a non-aligned policy, balanced diplomacy and a pragmatic focus on national interests, which he believes align with Indonesia's national goals. Prabowo aims to ensure stability and continuity in foreign policy to secure greater strategic space for Indonesia in geopolitical dynamics. 

First, Prabowo has pledged to uphold Indonesia's independent foreign policy of non-alignment with major powers. He has repeatedly emphasized his stance that "a thousand friends are too few, but one enemy is too many," highlighting Indonesia's commitment to a "free and active" diplomatic approach.

In the face of escalating geopolitical pressures, Prabowo has made it clear that Indonesia will adhere to a good neighbor policy and expressed full support for Indonesia to develop a closer relationship with China. This independent stance not only aligns with Indonesia's national interests but also provides a stable political foundation for China-Indonesia cooperation, helping the country maintain its autonomy amid China-US competition and avoid being drawn into confrontations.

Second, Prabowo views economic development as the top priority of his new government. He plans to increase Indonesia's economic growth rate from the current 5 percent to 8 percent over the next five years. To achieve this goal, the close economic and trade ties between Indonesia and China will play a crucial role. In recent years, China has provided significant support for infrastructure projects in Indonesia, with the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway serving as a flagship project of cooperation between the two countries and becoming an important pillar of Indonesia's economic modernization. Prabowo announced his plan to build a giant sea wall in order to address the threat of tidal floods and land subsidence in the northern region of Java Island. Reuters reported that during this trip he hopes to discuss cooperating with China to build the wall. 

In addition, China and Indonesia are expected to boost cooperation in the resource economy. Prabowo is an advocate of resource nationalism, which is one of his key initiatives to ensure that Indonesia's natural resources serve the country's economy. 

This policy includes export restrictions on unprocessed minerals, especially critical minerals such as nickel and bauxite. This move was opposed by the EU and other key economies, but China respects Indonesia's policies and increased investment in Indonesia's nickel industry chain. This not only strengthens bilateral cooperation in the resource industry, but also further consolidates political mutual trust between China and Indonesia, laying a more solid foundation for future economic and trade ties.

In addition, Prabowo is committed to enhancing Indonesia's leadership in regional and global affairs. Recently, Indonesia expressed its desire to join the BRICS group. This move demonstrates Prabowo's ambitions for Indonesia's diplomatic influence, as well as Indonesia's efforts to seek a stronger voice on multilateral platforms.

As a rapidly emerging economy, Indonesia has immense demands in infrastructure construction, and China's technical and financial supports provide important guarantees for Indonesia's modernization process. Prabowo, through deepening cooperation with China, shows not only his sense of responsibility for national development, but also his determination to promote regional cooperation within a multilateral framework. A mutually beneficial and win-win cooperative relationship will benefit both countries in a complex international environment and add new vitality to peace and development in Asia and even the world.

Ma Bo is an associate professor and assistant director at the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies at Nanjing University. Li Zishu is a research assistant at the School of International Studies of Nanjing University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn