In Depth: How China Helped Build Indonesia’s High-Speed Rail

A silver-bodied high-speed train decorated with a flash of red rolled slowly out of the Tegalluar station in Bandung, Indonesia’s West Java province, last month, and everyone applauded.

The spectators included Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo. They witnessed the operational trial of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train Nov. 16 on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting following the G-20 Summit in Bali.

The Jakarta-Bandung railway is a landmark project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative as the country expands its presence in Southeast Asia. It also represents a key step in the Indonesian government’s infrastructure push. The line connects Indonesia’s capital Jakarta and Bandung, the nation’s fourth-largest city.