China premier to attend high-speed rail trial in Indonesia

An Electric Multiple Unit high-speed train for a rail link project part of China's Belt and Road Initiative is parked at Tegalluar train depot in Bandung. - Reuters

JAKARTA (Reuters): China's Premier Li Qiang will this week attend in Indonesia's capital a trial run of a US$7.3 billion high-speed rail project funded by the superpower, an Indonesian official said on Tuesday (Sept 5).

The flagship project of Indonesian President Joko Widodo, which is part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, has faced a range of delays from land procurement issues, the Covid-19 pandemic to ballooning costs.