May 2, 2019 (EIRNS)

Reporting on Indonesia’s high-speed railroad now under construction on April 30, Reuters said the Indonesian-Chinese consortium building a high-speed rail link between the capital Jakarta and the textiles hub of Bandung expects to earn $18 billion by developing satellite towns and industrial centers along the line, according to a consortium official. The project, part of the Belt and Road Initiative, will be “the first high-speed rail of Southeast Asia,” China’s Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian stated.

Analysts say the plan in Indonesia to develop four new towns and industrial centers, the way the Chinese had done in developing its own high-speed railroad, has followed China’s urban development model. One of the sites chosen is an old tea plantation which is due to be transformed into a 5,000-hectare city with high-rise buildings and a new university. Indonesian and Chinese officials say the project’s success will be a gauge for future infrastructure cooperation.