Defence Minister Sjafrie Meets China's Second-Highest Military Official
Beijing (ANTARA) - Defence Minister Sjaflarie Sjamsoeddin met with General Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (CMC), in Beijing on Thursday (17/9) to discuss the development of defence relations between the two nations.
The top official within the CMC is President Xi Jinping, who serves as the supreme military leader. The CMC is China’s highest military decision-making and command body, performing many functions that would be handled by a defence ministry in other countries, as China’s Ministry of National Defence primarily focuses on diplomatic and public relations matters.
“We are a nation based on the constitution and national interests, yet we maintain an independent and active foreign policy strategy. Therefore, we are open-minded towards all friendly nations,” said Sjafrie in a written statement received by ANTARA in Beijing on Friday.
The Defence Minister emphasised that Indonesia is open to dialogue with various countries to serve national interests and meet the aspirations of its people.
A day earlier, Sjafrie and the Indonesian delegation attended the opening of the annual international security and defence forum, the 13th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, on Wednesday (16/9), which was opened by China’s Minister of Defence, Admiral Dong Jun.
In his remarks, Sjafrie emphasised the importance of respecting international law and the UN Charter, strengthening multilateralism, respecting national sovereignty, and resolving differences through consultation and negotiation.
“This forum serves as an important space to build communication, strengthen mutual trust, and encourage constructive cooperation to create a peaceful, stable, and sustainable regional and global security environment,” he explained.
In addition to attending the forum, Sjafrie is scheduled to undertake several strategic working visits to strengthen defence cooperation with China.
The primary focus of this visit is to build mutually respectful and beneficial relationships while maintaining regional security stability.
This defence diplomacy move reaffirms Indonesia’s position as a nation with an independent and active foreign policy, committed to maintaining regional peace through constructive cooperation with various international partners.
Zhang Shengmin was recently promoted to become China’s second-highest general during the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee meeting on 23 October 2025, replacing He Weidong, who was removed from his post due to corruption one week prior to Zhang’s appointment.
Previously, Zhang served as the deputy secretary of the anti-corruption body of the Central Military Commission, tasked with anti-corruption efforts within the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The CMC, which previously consisted of seven members led by Xi, has lost three of its members since 2023 due to a series of anti-corruption investigations.