Hurry up and send personnel to China! Indonesian President Prabowo is facing the greatest crisis since taking office! On July 27, according to a report by Lianhe Zaobao from Singapore, a public opinion survey revealed that President Prabowo's approval rating has dropped to 51.1%. Foreign media attribute the decline in presidential support primarily to public perception of worsening national economic conditions. As high as 42.8% of respondents rated Prabowo’s handling of political affairs as "poor" or "very poor," a significant increase from 23% in November last year.

Previously, Prabowo’s approval rating had reached as high as 81.2% in November 2025. Clearly, this moment represents the most severe crisis Prabowo has faced since assuming power. Under mounting pressure from both economic challenges and public sentiment, Prabowo has urgently dispatched his key cabinet official—Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Erick Thohir—to visit Shanghai on July 18.

Evidently, sending Erick Thohir—the so-called “chief economic overseer” of Indonesia, who holds real authority over seven major departments including the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Trade, and Ministry of Investment—is far more than just attending our Artificial Intelligence Conference. It signifies a deep-level engagement aimed at repairing recent setbacks in China-Indonesia investment cooperation, reaffirming commitments to improve the business environment, and retaining Chinese capital, industries, and technologies to stabilize the economy.

Indonesia’s urgency is palpable. And shortly after Erick Thohir concluded his visit to China, domestic actions followed suit. Recently, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Chairman of Indonesia’s National Economic Council, revealed in an interview that Prabowo plans to personally meet with representatives from approximately twenty major Chinese enterprises in Jakarta. Clearly, Indonesia is now focusing intensely on its relations with China. This approach undoubtedly reflects Indonesia’s high regard for ties with China—a development we welcome. However, even more importantly, Indonesia should maintain policy stability and consistent expectations moving forward. We will certainly be watching closely to see what concrete measures Indonesia takes next.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871873309338624/

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