It would be an understatement to say that October was a momentous month for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Beijing celebrated the initiative’s 10th anniversary by holding the third Belt and Road Forum; around the same time, its signature high-speed railway (HSR) in Indonesia became operational. The launch of “Whoosh,” the Jakarta-Bandung HSR, on … Read more
Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Chinese leader Xi Jinping pose for a photo ahead of their meeting in Beijing, China, October 17, 2023. Credit: Facebook/Presiden Joko Widodo Advertisement China is willing to expand and strengthen economic cooperation with Indonesia, including in digital technology and renewable energy, President Xi Jinping said yesterday after meeting with President … Read more
Advertisement Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo yesterday launched his country’s – and Southeast Asia’s – first high-speed railway, a milestone both for his administration and for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s signature foreign policy scheme. The $7.3 billion rail line, which links the capital Jakarta to the city of Bandung … Read more
Advertisement In recent years, Indonesia’s public transit infrastructure has received a significant makeover. The long-awaited high-speed rail (HSR) connecting Jakarta with Bandung is undergoing public test runs now and will start commercial operation at the beginning of October. Last month, the Greater Jakarta light rail system (LRT) went into service. The first leg of the … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Economy | Southeast Asia The soft launch of the railway, Southeast Asia’s first high-speed line, has been pushed back from August 18 until early September. A train engine rolls past a model of a high-speed train displayed at the construction site of a Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway station in Tegalluar, West Java, Indonesia, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. … Read more
Workers lower an electric multiple unit, part of Chinese-made high-speed passenger train, onto a truck at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Dita Alangkara Advertisement Recently, Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation announced plans to extend the high-speed railway linking Jakarta and Bandung. Risal Wasal, the director general of railways at … Read more
Pacific Money | Economy | Southeast Asia Whether or not the rail line turns a profit, Jakarta is hoping that the project brings a wider range of subsidiary benefits. Indonesian President Joko Widodo stands near a newly-unveiled Comprehensive Inspection Train (CIT) unit during his visit to the construction site of a Jakarta-Bandung Fast Railway station in Tegalluar, West Java, … Read more