UPDATE - Indonesian President Prabowo reaches US after China trip

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM INDONESIAN, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRIES

ISTANBUL (AA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto early Monday landed in the US, following his state visit to China as part of his first overseas trip since being inaugurated last month.

Prabowo is on a multi-national tour which includes trips to Peru, Brazil, the UK and some stops in the Middle East.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden will host Prabowo at the White House on Tuesday.

It is not clear yet whether Prabowo will meet President-elect Donald Trump, who won the US presidential elections held on Nov. 05.

“Thank you to the Indonesian citizens and students in Washington DC for the wonderful warm welcome,” Prabowo said on X after he landed in the US.

In Peru, Prabowo will attend an Asia Pacific Cooperation forum and later will represent Southeast Asia’s powerhouse at the G20 summit in Brazil.

On his way back, Prabowo is scheduled to visit London to hold talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Before flying out of Jakarta, Prabowo said his trip includes stops in the Middle East but he did not reveal the countries he will visit.

Over the weekend, Prabowo met with China’s President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, National People’s Congress Standing Committee Chairman Zhao Leji as well as the Chinese business community where he signed deals worth $10 billion.

Emphasizing Indonesia’s relations with a “civilizational power” China, Prabowo said: “We must give an example that in this modern age, collaboration — not confrontation — is the way for peace and prosperity.”

Beijing and Jakarta also signed deals on Blue Economy and the two sides agreed to hold a first-ever joint meeting of their foreign and defense ministers next year.

“Indonesia is very clear," Prabowo said. “We have always been non-aligned; we have always been respectful of all great powers in the world.”

Jakarta and Beijing "are committed to strengthening friendship and advancing the welfare of both nations," he added.

- Jakarta does not recognize China’s nine-dash line claim

However, Indonesia rushed to clarify its stance despite signing a maritime development deal with China over the weekend.

"The partnership cannot be interpreted as recognizing [China’s] nine-dash line claim. Indonesia reaffirms its position that it has always held all this time that the claim lacks an international legal basis and does not align with the 1982 UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea),” the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

“So this partnership will not affect Indonesia’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and its jurisdictions in the North Natuna Sea,” it added.

Jakarta's statement came after reaching an "important common understanding" with Beijing on joint development in areas of overlapping claims in the South China Sea and agreeing to establish an inter-governmental committee to explore and advance relevant cooperation based on the principles of "mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, flexibility, pragmatism, and consensus-building."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing has long advocated “pursuing joint development while setting aside disputes.”

"We’re ready to work with Indonesia to actively explore this possibility and other maritime cooperation," Lin told reporters.

Jakarta said its partnership with Beijing would put "more focus on the economic aspects, particularly fishery and marine conservation in the region based on mutual respect."

Since being elected in the February presidential elections, Prabowo, the former defense minister, had already paid trips to the US, China, and Russia before being inaugurated on Oct. 20.

Ahead of his trip to Washington, Prabowo in a congratulatory message to Trump said: "Indonesia and the United States are strategic partners who share a robust and multifaceted relationship."

"Our strategic partnership holds immense potential for mutual benefit, and I look forward to collaborating closely with you and your administration to further enhance this partnership and for global peace and stability," said the 73-year-old former military general.