Indonesian president-elect vows to strengthen ties with Japan

Indonesian President-elect Prabowo Subianto has said he wants to “further strengthen” relations with Japan as he met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida following a visit to China.

Subianto, who is currently Defence Minister, told Kishida that the two countries were long-standing friends who had built a cooperative relationship and that he hoped to strengthen it further.

Japan has been seeking closer ties with Southeast Asian countries, especially in maritime security and defence, in the face of China's increasingly assertive military presence.

Subianto, who is set to succeed Joko Widodo in October, chose Beijing for his first official foreign visit after his election triumph in February. The choice was intended to underline stable relations with China amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea, marked by recurrent maritime confrontations between China and the Philippines.

In his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Subianto pledged a continued friendly policy toward China.

China is Indonesia’s largest trading partner, with Beijing investing in major infrastructure projects, and Indonesia has maintained a relatively neutral stance amid rising tensions between China and the Philippines over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Kishida welcomed Subianto's early visit to Tokyo, telling his future counterpart that the two countries are longtime friends who share basic values and principles and that Japan hoped to further strengthen cooperation in regional and global issues as “comprehensive and strategic partners.”

Kishida said Japan hopes to contribute to Indonesia's development in infrastructure and energy while stepping up cooperation in security and defence.

Diplomatic maneuvering

Kishida's meeting with Subianto comes just a week before the Japanese leader will travel to Washington for a summit with US President Joe Biden, and three-way talks that will also include Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., at which the leaders are expected to discuss further reinforcing security ties.

Later Wednesday, Subianto held talks with Japanese Defence Minister Minoru Kihara. The two ministers vowed to enhance defence cooperation, the Japanese Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Japan and Indonesia are expanding joint exercises in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as capacity building and educational programmes, Kihara told reporters after the talks.

“I'm determined to strengthen cooperation between our two maritime nations to achieve a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law," he said.