As expected, Prabowo’s Middle East diplomacy was not significantly rewarding economically or politically. However, this does not mean the President returned home empty-handed because he could at least get first-hand information from the five leaders he met, all of which are key players in the strife-torn region.

While Prabowo was overseas, Chinese President Xi Jinping began his Southeast Asian tour to forge a strategic alliance against Trump’s tariff rise. Jakarta was not on Xi’s itinerary that included Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh. However, he called Prabowo on Tuesday to brief the Indonesian leader about China's answer to the US’ protectionist policy and to convey a message that Beijing is a better partner for Southeast Asian member states than Washington.

China and ASEAN member states are part of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest trade pact. Some ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, have also joined BRICS, of which China is a founding member.

Indonesia and fellow ASEAN countries Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia faced hefty US levies before Trump announced a 90-day pause. Each ASEAN member state has the right to deal with Trump bilaterally, as Indonesia is doing by sending a team to Washington, DC.

However, it will be more effective for ASEAN to form a united front against Trump. President Prabowo should be more active in seeking a common stance for ASEAN in the wake of the tariff war, as Indonesia and individual ASEAN nations will never be able to overcome the challenge alone.

The US is the second largest market for ASEAN after China, and the fourth largest trading partner. The US is also the most significant source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in ASEAN, with approximately 22.5 percent of the bloc’s total FDI flowing in from the world’s largest economy.

Before leaving Jakarta for the Middle East, Prabowo said he would discuss the latest geopolitical and geoeconomic conundrum with his five hosts, emphasizing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The President has repeatedly stated that under his presidency, Indonesia would play a much more prominent role in global affairs.

Prabowo's April 9-15 trip included a bilateral summit with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and Jordan King Abdullah II.

As reported by this newspaper, Prabowo said he had a "productive" meeting with Qatar's Emir, who reportedly committed to a US$2 billion investment in the new sovereign wealth fund Danantara. The two sides have not signed any formal document, but Prabowo insisted that he was delighted with the plan.

Speaking at a forum in Turkey, Prabowo criticized Western silence when it comes to Israel's systemic acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Jakarta has sent a medical team to Gaza and, more recently, proposed to bring a total of 1,000 injured Palestinians and orphaned children to Indonesia temporarily for treatment.  

Such misery also befalls thousands of people in Myanmar, which requires Indonesia and ASEAN to lend a helping hand. According to the Myanmar junta, more than 3,000 people have died, and more than 4,500 have been injured. ASEAN is working to lead the international rescue and reconstruction mission in Myanmar.

As the de facto leader of ASEAN, it is natural that Indonesia should do more to initiate regional measures to solve problems facing any member nation.

Prabowo has shown his commitment to the Palestinian cause through his recent outing, in line with Indonesia’s foreign policy that aims to help form a world order free from colonialism. However, he should remember that ASEAN has been and will remain the cornerstone of Indonesian diplomacy.