Indonesia’s G20 will showcase the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail to the world

Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail

In November, during the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia will showcase the achievements of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail construction to the outside world. On October 16, the erection of a box girder on the whole line of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway was completed, which means that the track-laying channel of the high-speed railway was fully opened. The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is a landmark project of cooperation between China and Indonesia under the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. It is jointly constructed by enterprises of the two countries and connects Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, with Bandung, the fourth largest city. According to Indonesia’s Antara News Agency, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway spans 142.3 kilometers and is expected to be officially put into use in June 2023. After completion, it will be the first high-speed railway in Southeast Asia.

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail is not only of great significance to Indonesia but will also help China’s high-speed rail to “go global”. Liang Haiming, president of the Silk Road Intelligence Valley Research Institute, told the Global Times reporter that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway adopts Chinese high-speed railway technology and standards, which will prove to the world the high quality and practicability of China’s high-speed railway. More countries along the ‘Belt and Road’ believe that the ‘new infrastructure does not have to adopt Western standards, and it is worth looking forward to co-construction with China.”

Help China’s high-speed rail “going out”

“During the construction process, local government officials, relevant institutions, and residents visited the site many times, and the entire Indonesian society is full of expectations for the completion of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway.” Executive Vice President of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway Project Branch of Power China Hydropower Seventh Bureau Manager Zhang Jinke told the Global Times reporter, “We have provided about 15,000 local jobs and trained a large number of technical talents of all kinds.”

Speaking of the construction process of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, he said: “The high-speed railway is located in a tropical rain forest climate zone, and there is a lot of unfavorable geology and special rock and soil, which have a great impact on the construction of the line.”

Zhang Jinke said that among them, the No. 2 tunnel is the tunnel with the most complex geological conditions, the most difficult construction and the most severe safety production situation on the whole line of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway. 21 times of dangerous situations such as sudden mudslides.” In this regard, the construction team gathered experts from China and Indonesia to formulate a rigorous excavation technical plan and tunnel reinforcement plan, which was finally completed successfully.

According to Hong Kong’s Asia Times, Indonesian President Joko Widodo traveled to Japan and China to personally compare the two high-speed rail systems in the face of bids from Chinese and Japanese companies for the project. The report mentioned that China is willing to transfer related technologies, and “Chinese companies have successfully won the bid with their rich experience and better technology.”

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail is not only of great significance to Indonesia but will also help China’s high-speed rail to “go global”. Liang Haiming, dean of the Belt and Road Research Institute of Hainan University, told the Global Times reporter that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway adopts Chinese high-speed railway technology and standards, which will prove to the world the high quality and practicability of China’s high-speed railway.

Stimulate economic growth along the route

According to the US “Diplomatist” magazine, on the 13th, Joko Widodo observed the comprehensive inspection train of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail in Bandung, and said: “The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail will speed up the mobility of people and goods and improve Indonesia’s competitiveness.” Joko Widodo It is expected that once the high-speed rail is opened to traffic, many industries will benefit, and new economic growth points will also appear in Jakarta and Bandung. According to Singapore’s “The Straits Times”, “the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail will enrich Indonesia’s infrastructure and bring new growth points to the service industry and service trade”.

Liang Haiming told the “Global Times” reporter that the speed-up of logistics between Jakarta and Bandung can greatly reduce the transportation cost of Bandung’s textiles and significantly enhance Bandung’s international competitiveness as the center of Indonesia’s textile industry. In addition, there are many industrial parks along the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, such as the China-Indonesia Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone. The upgrading of transportation will continue to expand the radiation scope of the industrial parks, attracting foreign investors including Chinese enterprises to increase investment, further stimulating local employment and economic growth. .

In addition, according to Reuters, Widodo further mentioned that the high-speed rail will be the first high-speed rail in ASEAN, or will further connect with airports and other railways, thereby increasing connectivity between ASEAN countries. Experts said that the strategic cooperation between China and Indonesia will play an important role in demonstrating and demonstrating the deepening of China-ASEAN cooperation. Liang Haiming said that in recent years, ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner, and the launch of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway will make ASEAN countries more and more confident in Chinese products and promote further economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN countries.

More “Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail” may emerge

The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway is a pragmatic cooperation between China and Indonesia in infrastructure construction, and it is also a project to bring China and ASEAN countries closer. Lan Qingxin, a professor at the National Institute of Openness at the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times reporter that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail will bring convenience to Indonesian people and increase employment. The future development of bilateral relations will have a profound impact.

Tang Qifang, an associate researcher at the China Institute of International Studies, said that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project is a good “showcase” project, which has strengthened people’s confidence in the “Belt and Road” initiative, confidence in China, and cooperation with China. Confidence. According to Tang Qifang, Indonesia is an archipelago country with a high population density, and the high-speed rail transport capacity can be fully utilized here, which reflects the characteristics of the “Belt and Road” initiative to adapt to local conditions and benefit the local area. Tang Qifang said that the countries along the “Belt and Road” have deepened their understanding of the “Belt and Road” initiative in the past 10 years of cooperation and construction. A significant flagship project such as the Wanwan high-speed railway.”