"Indonesia is actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and it is certain that such cooperation with China is to the benefit of both countries,” said Nurul Ichwan, Deputy Minister for Investment Promotion, Indonesia, in a recent interview with GDToday at the 2023 China Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province.
Ichwan took the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) as an example of China-Indonesia collaboration under the BRI. “We are very happy with the progress and the performance. This project is the first of its kind in Indonesia. We are thinking of harnessing the experience and initiating another similar project connecting Jakarta with other big cities in Java.”
The Jakarta-Bandung HSR is scheduled to start operation in August 2023. The comprehensive inspection train of the railway reached 350 km per hour, the design speed, for the first time on June 22, 2023, fully validating the functionality and performance of the railway.
A comprehensive inspection train runs along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Bandung, Indonesia, on June 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)
Ichwan told GDToday that as the year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of both the launch of the BRI and the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia, “we are going to start a new phase of bilateral relations and a new spirit for the Belt and Road cooperation.”
He listed industries with a high potential for improved collaboration, such as manufacturing and green technologies. “Indonesia is highly interested in cooperating with Chinese enterprises to meet the growing global demand for solar panels. There is a Chinese company that is going to develop an integrated downstream industry of processing raw materials into solar panels in Indonesia.”
With abundant reserves of nickel, cobalt, copper, bauxite, and tin, which are materials for the EV industry, Indonesia also plans to develop reliable EV ecosystems for Southeast Asia and the world at large, according to Ichwan.
“Chinese investors are already deeply involved in nickel mining and processing projects in Indonesia. We are looking forward to further cooperation in manufacturing EV electric batteries since China is advanced in related technologies,” Ichwan said.
He noted Indonesia expects to strengthen communications and relations with China and other countries that don’t attempt to create an unbalanced situation in trade and investment. “This is also the signal sent by President Widodo’s visit to China,” Ichwan said.
The leaders of China and Indonesia met on July 27, 2023 in Chengdu, the capital city of southwest China’s Sichuan province, when Indonesian President Joko Widodo went to attend the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in the city.
“The meetings between the presidents and ministers of Indonesia and China show the seriousness and eagerness of both countries to have more and better collaborations,” Ichwan stressed.
Reporter | Lydia Liu
Poster designer | Mia
Editor | Olivia Yang, Steven Yuen, Jasmine Yin, James
