Katharine Murphy, Jakarta – Malcolm Turnbull began his day in the Indonesian capital emphasising the importance of boosting economic linkages and investment – and ended it mobbed in a Jakarta textile market with president Joko Widodo.
The Australian prime minister met his Indonesian counterpart on Thursday. It was the first bilateral meeting at leader level since the April executions of the Bali Nine duo Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Widodo referenced recent tensions in the relationship in his welcoming remarks at the presidential palace, noting the close geographical proximity between Australia and Indonesia created an "intensity" in the relationship, and with intensity came the potential for "friction".
Turnbull for his part did not reference any of the obvious recent tensions specifically in his remarks. "I couldn't have asked for a warmer or more gracious welcome by yourself and so many of your ministerial colleagues," the prime minister said.
Canberra's relationship with Jakarta was buffeted by a number of events during the Abbott prime ministership, including running disagreements over asylum boat turnbacks, revelations that Australia had spied on, or attempted to spy on, the president, Susilo Yudhoyono, his wife and nine members of their inner circle in 2009 and, more latterly, the execution of Chan and Sukumaran.
Observers said on Thursday the prime minister and the president did not touch on Australia's objections to the death penalty, expressed vociferously during the Bali Nine case, nor on tensions over asylum boats, during their bilateral meeting.
Turnbull's visit to Jakarta is intended to reset the relationship after the diplomatic turbulence of the Abbott period. It is also an attempt to build a personal rapport with a president who has opened his tenure in Jakarta in a tone of populist nationalism – a development that cuts Indonesia's recent political history, and potentially blunts Australia's ambition to enhance the bilateral trade relationship.
After their private meeting at the presidential palace, the two leaders visited the Pasar Tanah Abang market – the largest textile market in south-east Asia.
Surrounded by tight and aggressive security, the two leaders were quickly mobbed by locals. Turnbull was bathed in sweat as jostling locals pushed in for selfies. "It's a little bit warmer than I'm used to," Turnbull quipped during the walk, after abandoning his jacket.
An Indonesian official trailed the Australian prime minister with paper towels in an effort to deal with the outbreak of perspiration. Turnbull's security detail looked distinctly uncomfortable with the claustrophobic environment at the market, and with the jostling.
The prime minister greeted Jakarta locals by launching into his familiar Australian stump speech – the "exciting" times prompted by innovation and technical disruption – and he noted that both he and Widodo (a furniture tycoon) shared a business background.
Turnbull then took a few questions from local reporters, signalling that Australia wanted to boost the cattle trade, and would warmly welcome any proposal by Indonesia to join the trans-Pacific partnership – the US-led trade deal which is seen by seen by many analysts as a strategic counterbalance to growing Chinese economic power and influence in the Pacific rim.
But Turnbull couldn't escape domestic political controversy on the opening day of his 10-day sortie.
On his way to a ceremonial welcome at the presidential palace in Jakarta, Turnbull told reporters "trade, investment, economic growth, stronger economies in both Indonesia and Australia for the benefit of both sides is the focus of the discussions".
But the prime minister was peppered with questions about whether his deputy, Julie Bishop, was complicit in the leadership challenge he launched against Tony Abbott.
Turnbull attempted to dead bat the questions, saying Bishop had already defended herself "with the precision of a very fine lawyer and the elegance of a very distinguished diplomat". Bishop had his "110% confidence."
The Australian prime minister leaves Jakarta on Thursday night for Berlin, where he will meet the German chancellor Angela Merkel in a business-focused visit – before travelling on to the G20, Apec and East Asia summits.