Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Sugiono is representing President Prabowo Subianto at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, after the president cancelled his planned trip to manage escalating unrest at home, Antaranews reports.

Sugiono, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Arrmanatha Nasir, landed in Tianjin on August 31 and was greeted by Indonesian Ambassador to China and Mongolia Djauhari Oratmangun. The president had been scheduled to attend the summit and later observe China’s Victory Day Parade in Beijing at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.

State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi confirmed the cancellation late August 30, saying Prabowo opted to stay in Indonesia to monitor the domestic situation directly and “seek the best resolution to the unrest.” He stressed that the decision was made carefully to avoid straining ties with Beijing, adding that Prabowo had formally apologised to China for his absence.

The unrest began on August 25 with protests in Jakarta over parliamentarians’ allowances, quickly spreading to Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Solo, and Makassar. Tensions escalated after a police tactical vehicle fatally struck Affan Kurniawan, an online motorcycle taxi driver, during a protest in Jakarta on August 28. Two days later, angry mobs looted the homes of several lawmakers.

The protests have laid bare growing public dissatisfaction with the government, the House of Representatives, and the National Police. Analysts say Prabowo’s decision to cancel his China visit underscores the severity of the crisis and his priority to project leadership at home.