Indonesian President Joko Widodo is heading to Beijing for a rare visit by a foreign leader under China’s strict COVID-19 protocols. Indonesian President Joko Widodo was heading to Beijing on Monday for a rare visit by a foreign leader under China’s strict COVID-19 protocols and ahead of what could be the first overseas trip by Chinese President Xi Jinping since the start of the pandemic more than two years ago.
Xi, who has participated in international meetings only by video link during the pandemic, may end his COVID-19 isolation and attend a Group of 20 summits in Indonesia in mid-November, analysts both inside and outside China said.
The restrictions during the pandemic years have shrunk China’s diplomatic activities, said Zhu Feng, dean of the School of International Studies of Nanjing University. China must face reality. Although the pandemic is still not over, it is a must for China to walk out and invite in.
Widodo, the host of this year’s G-20, will meet Xi and Premier Li Keqiang on Tuesday, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry said. He will then hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo on Wednesday and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Thursday,
Japan, South Korea, China, and Indonesia are all members of the G-20, a group of 19 major nations and the European Union.
