Jokowi to break bread with Xi Jinping in Beijing

The Indonesian president will meet his authoritarian Chinese counterpart next Tuesday.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping strike the ‘no limits’ freindship between Russia and China in Beijing on February 4. Picture: AFP

Indonesian President Joko Widodo will visit Beijing next week to meet Xi Jinping as part of a three-day trip of East Asia, making him the first democratic leader to meet the Chinese president since the diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics.

Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Thursday that Jokowi’s itinerary will include a visit to Beijing on Tuesday to meet Mr Xi and Premier Li Keqiang.

Jokowi will head to Tokyo to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday and to Seoul to meet South Korea’s new President Yoon Seok-youl the next day.

It was at the Winter Olympics that Mr Xi and Vladimir Putin declared a “no limits” friendship between China and Russia, just a few weeks before Moscow invaded Ukraine on February 24.

Despite a diplomatic boycott from Western nations, including Australia and the US, over human rights abuses, 22 world leaders attended the opening ceremony in Beijing on February 4. Most represented autocratic nations, with leaders from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan sending leaders to meet with Mr Xi.

Indonesia and China have hinted at the upcoming visit since Ms Retno and Co-ordinating Minister for Investment and Maritime Affairs Luhut Pandjaitan met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier this month on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali.

Russia’s invasion into Ukraine has placed Indonesia, as this year’s G20 president, in the unenviable position of keeping the group together, with western countries threatening to boycott the summit if Mr Putin attends.

As a non-aligned country, Indonesia has resisted such calls, choosing to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a guest as a compromise.

“We appreciate the strong support from all G20 members including the three countries that the president will be visiting next week,” Ms Retno said.

“As Southeast Asia’s biggest economy, Indonesia has the responsibility to contribute in the efforts to ensure Southeast Asia and beyond, which is the Indo-Pacific region, remain peaceful, stable and prosperous. Amid a world situation filled with unhealthy rivalry and degradation of multilateralism values, Indonesia will strive to sow the spirit of solidarity and peace.”