DOMINANT ANGLE
Jakarta is deciphering the protocolar fanfare deployed in Washington, where the red carpet, state dinner and gift exchange have garnered more attention from the Indonesian press than the commercial and security files left unanswered.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The trade truce, set to expire in November, has been extended until January 10, without a fundamental agreement on trade, rare earths, or technology.
- 02
Xi Jinping announced the sending of two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the Atlanta zoo, which has been without pandas since 2024, and the hosting of 100,000 American students in China over five years.
- 03
No progress was announced on Taiwan, Iran, or artificial intelligence, despite Xi Jinping's call to avoid "any conflict or confrontation" between Washington and Beijing.
ANALYSIS
Jakarta, September 25, 2026. The Indonesian press, through Tempo and CNN Indonesia, closely followed Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington, but its attention focused more on protocol and symbols than on substantive issues. From his arrival on Wednesday, September 23, at Joint Base Andrews, Xi Jinping was personally welcomed by Donald Trump and Melania Trump, a rare gesture since the American president "usually receives his guests only at the White House," CNN Indonesia notes. The red carpet, a military fanfare, and an aerial parade, including B-1 bombers, marked this arrival - a moment that also earned Trump unexpected attention: Indonesian media pointed out that he had winced at the passage of military planes, contrasting with the calm displayed by Xi Jinping.
On Thursday, September 24, the two leaders met at the White House for talks in the Oval Office before a state dinner where, alongside the two presidents, were the big names of American tech: Tim Cook (Apple), Jensen Huang (Nvidia), Elon Musk (Tesla), and Lisa Su (AMD). Trump hailed a "very great friendship" with Xi, while the Chinese leader called for avoiding "any conflict or confrontation" between the two powers, while urging Trump to "prudence" on the Taiwanese issue and recalling that the development of artificial intelligence must remain under human control.
The exchange of gifts took up a large part of the coverage: Trump offered Xi a statue of a white-headed eagle, the American national symbol, hoping it would find "a beautiful place in Beijing." Xi announced the sending of two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, to the Atlanta zoo - which has been without pandas since 2024 - and the hosting of 100,000 American students in China over five years.
On the substance, the trade truce, which was due to expire in November, was extended until January 10, without any progress being announced on rare earths, customs duties, Taiwan, Iran, or artificial intelligence. This is Xi Jinping's first state visit to Washington in over a decade, after Trump's trip to China in May.
SOURCES (2)
- CNN IndonesiaMEDIUM
- Tempo EnglishMEDIUM
