The Indonesian head of state was initially scheduled to attend the SCO Summit and observe the Victory Day Parade in Beijing on September 3 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, Sugiono arrived at Tianjin Binhai International Airport on Sunday at 3:13 p.m. local time and was welcomed by Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia Djauhari Oratmangun, among other officials.
Earlier, on Saturday night, August 30, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi confirmed that President Prabowo had to cancel his official visit to China due to the unrest spreading across Indonesia in recent days.
"Mr. President wants to observe the domestic situation directly, to lead and seek the best resolution to the unrest," Hadi stated.
The minister, who also serves as Prabowo’s spokesperson, underlined that the president made the decision carefully to ensure his absence would not affect Indonesia-China’s enduring harmonious relations.
"President Prabowo Subianto humbly apologized to the Chinese government for not being able to fulfill their invitation," he added.
The cancellation came amid nationwide unrest reflecting public dissatisfaction with the government, the House of Representatives (DPR), and the National Police (Polri).
Beginning with a mass protest against DPR members’ perceived lavish allowances in Jakarta on August 25, the dissent quickly spread to multiple regions, including Bandung, West Java; Surabaya, East Java; Yogyakarta; Solo, Central Java; and Makassar, South Sulawesi.
Tensions escalated after Affan Kurniawan, an online motorbike taxi driver, was run over by a police vehicle in Jakarta on Thursday night, August 28, followed by mobs looting the residences of several DPR lawmakers on Saturday, August 30.
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Translator: Desca L, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Arie Novarina
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