Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is visiting Indonesia for the ASEAN=Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, took a test ride on Indonesia's high-speed railway, which China was contracted to build, and promoted it as the result of economic cooperation.
The high-speed railway connecting Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and Bandung, which is about 140 kilometers away, was contracted in 2015 after China engaged in fierce competition with Japan for orders.
On the 6th, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who is visiting Jakarta for the ASEAN=Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit, inspected the first station under construction and then went to the next station to test drive a Chinese-made railway car to check the progress of the construction.
This high-speed rail is positioned as a major project of China's "One Belt, One Road" mega-economic zone initiative between the two countries, and it is believed that China is also aiming to appeal that it is contributing to the development of the region.
According to the main companies, the progress rate exceeds 90%, and the Indonesian government is aiming to open the business in October.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut, who accompanied the bank, said, "We also discussed the possibility of extending this railway to Surabaya, the second largest city," and expressed his hope for continued cooperation with China.
Regarding the railway project, although the Chinese side initially proposed a plan that would not incur a financial burden on Indonesia, the construction cost has ballooned to more than 10.2 trillion yen at Japan yen, creating a burden on the Indonesian side.