Indonesian High-speed Railway Project not Suspended, China Says

Indonesian models with scale models of Chinese-made bullet trains on exhibition

Beijing, 20 Rabiul Akhir 1437/30 January 2016 (MINA) – China said on Friday that Indonesia’s first high-speed railway (HSR) has not been suspended.

“Media reports that claimed the railway project has been suspended due to a lack of construction license are not true,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a regular news briefing, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting Xinhua.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the railway, which will link Jakarta with the provincial capital of West Java Bandung, was held on Jan. 21. Both sides attach great importance to the project, Hua said.

“China and Indonesia will push for the smooth construction of the railway to benefit the Indonesian people and use the project as an opportunity to improve bilateral practical cooperation,” the spokesperson said.

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“The construction of the railway is going smoothly,” an anonymous official with China Railway Co. Ltd. said Friday.

Last October, China Railway signed a deal with Indonesian state-owned enterprises to form a joint venture to construct and operate the railway, with the latter to control 60 percent of the stake.

Once completed, the 150-km railway will cut travel time from Jakarta to Bandung from more than three hours at present to less than 40 minutes. (T/R07/R04 )

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)