Dino Advises Prabowo to Learn from China's Xi Jinping and Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum

Founder of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), Dino Patti Djalal, has advised President Prabowo Subianto to learn from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum to cut down on overseas official travel. In an Instagram post, Dino outlined five recommendations for Prabowo, including prioritising hosting state guests in Indonesia over frequent foreign trips. He noted that Prabowo has made more international visits than any other world leader, with recent criticism over his fourth trip to France. Dino highlighted the substantial costs of such travel, including entourage expenses, aircraft, accommodation, logistics, security, and daily allowances, which can total tens to hundreds of billions of rupiah per trip. He suggested using video calls or phone conferences for diplomatic communication, stating that bilateral visits often consist of a single hour-long meeting with unnecessary ceremonial elements. Dino cited Mexican President Sheinbaum, who has called US President Donald Trump 17 times without meeting in person despite Mexico’s major trade relationship with the US. Additionally, Sheinbaum flew economy class to Spain to demonstrate cost-cutting measures within her government.