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View all search resultsPrabowo’s APEC charm
As the leader of a prominent middle power, President Prabowo showed that he was also a magnet for international leaders.
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President Prabowo Subianto (left) shakes hands with South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung on Friday during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea. (Yonhap via Reuters/Yonhap via Reuters)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto has attended several multilateral summits and events this year, and he will attend the Group of 20 summit later this month in South Africa. It is very clear from his statements that he aims to use global forums to serve Indonesia’s national interests.
When Prabowo attended the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, over the weekend, the bilateral meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping overshadowed the meeting. The activities and statements of other leaders were almost unheard as international media organizations were preoccupied with the coverage of the world’s first and second largest economies.
As if to show off superiority to the 21-member loose coalition of countries, Trump returned home just after concluding his bilateral meeting with the Chinese president. His absence created a golden opportunity for Xi to show China’s leadership on free trade.
As chair and host, South Korean President Jae-myung tried very hard and succeeded in formulating an acceptable description, especially between the US and China, in the leaders’ 25-point joint declaration. He did not want to repeat the 2018 summit in Papua New Guinea, where leaders failed to issue a communique because of trade friction between the US and China.
The inclusion of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was avoided to accommodate Trump’s pride. The WTO is now at its lowest point, which will force many countries to face unilateralism from richer and more advanced nations. Apparently, for the first time, the two key words were abolished in the APEC declaration. This could be a historic setback for many in the future.
In the second paragraph of the statement, the leaders pointed out that “The Asia-Pacific region stands at a pivotal juncture. We acknowledge the global trading system continues to face significant challenges…In this regard, we call for strengthened cooperation and concrete actions to enable economic growth that benefits all”.
As the leader of a prominent middle power, Prabowo showed that he was also a magnet for the participants.
