Prabowo in the frame with China and allies — prestige or peril?

Indonesian leader at Beijing parade draws both global spotlight and scrutiny from US

- Arlina Arshad

JAKARTA - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto was photographed alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a striking image taken at Tiananmen Square that thrust him into the global spotlight.

Analysts said the photo-op, largely symbolic, projected Mr Prabowo's alignment and influence alongside some of the world's most powerful leaders, even if it carried little immediate policy weight.

The Sept 3 military parade, marking 80 years since Japan's defeat in World War II, was a show of strength for Mr Xi. For United States President Donald Trump, the spectacle appeared provocative, fuelling accusations that Beijing was conspiring with Moscow and Pyongyang against Washington.

For Mr Prabowo, the visit was brief but high-profile. He arrived with a small entourage, stayed for less than eight hours, and had skipped the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin three days earlier because of deadly protests at home.

Jakarta said he eventually attended the parade at the "very strong request" of Beijing, underscoring Indonesia's rising visibility in multilateral forums even amid domestic unrest.

"This picture is unique. It shows that (Indonesia, China, Russia and North Korea) share many traits," Associate Professor Teuku Rezasyah of Padjadjaran University and President University told The Straits Times.

Their similarities, he noted, include awareness of a global power shift from the US to China and sensitivity to the importance of international groupings like Brics, as well as events such as the SCO, both of which require close coordination among state leaders.