China not expected to let past overshadow relations with Indonesia’s new leader Prabowo Subianto

Questions have been raised about the former general’s possible role in 1998 anti-Chinese riots, but analysts believe he will want strong ties with Beijing

Prabowo says he wants to continue the policies of President Joko Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, whose rule has seen relations with China flourishing

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Ethnic Chinese Indonesians and their businesses were targeted by mob violence in 1998, allegedly triggered by the military. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:00pm, 16 Feb 2024

Future Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto’s controversial past has raised questions inside China about what his approach to Beijing will be, but diplomatic observers broadly expect him to continue the current pragmatic stance.

Prabowo was a special forces general in 1998, when widespread anti-Chinese riots broke out that left over a thousand people dead across the country.

An Indonesian fact-finding team later found that elements of the military had instigated the attacks, which activists said were orchestrated to divert public anger away from the government led by Prabowo’s father-in-law Suharto in the middle of a financial crisis.

Prabowo, now defence minister, has always denied involvement in the attacks, but they dominated discussions about his election on Chinese social media, raising concerns he might try to turn the country against China.

But an article on the social media account of the state-owned Xiwen Evening News dismissed these worries, adding that Indonesians had largely forgiven him for his chequered past, including his role in targeting protesters and dissidents.

According to unofficial tallies – which have proved relatively accurate in past elections – Prabowo has secured an unassailable lead over his two opponents in the race to succeed Joko Widodo.

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