China blunder, U.S. uncertainty mark Prabowo's debut foreign trip

New leader turns Indonesia 'totally outward looking' with 16-day tour

20241125 King Charles III and Indonesia's President Prabowo

Prabowo Subianto, right, meets King Charles at Buckingham Palace in London on Nov. 21, during the Indonesian president's 16-day foreign tour that included Beijing and Washington. © Reuters

ISMI DAMAYANTI, Nikkei staff writer

November 26, 2024 10:18 JST

JAKARTA -- Prabowo Subianto returned home from his debut foreign trip as Indonesian president with a mixed bag of outcomes -- including $18.5 billion worth of new agreements, a geopolitical gaffe involving Beijing and rising uncertainty over the fate of the U.S.-Indonesia partnership.

The former defense minister's 16-day tour to China, the U.S., Peru, Brazil, Britain and the United Arab Emirates kicked off on Nov. 8 -- less than three weeks after his inauguration. He landed back in Jakarta on Sunday, cutting short an initial plan to travel more in the Middle East ahead of elections of regional leaders across Indonesia on Wednesday.