INDONESIA

As the largest archipelagic country in the world and situated in a strategic location linking Pacific and Indian Oceans, Indonesia has a very important position in the BRI.

Several major BRI projects have been planned in Indonesia since 2013 .One of the most important projects is the 142.3 km Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail (JBHSR) construction on Java Island, which is estimated to cost $6.07 billion. Programed for completion in 2023, it will be the first high-speed railway project in Indonesia. PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China, a joint venture formed in October 2015 between a consortium of Indonesian stateowned companies and China Railway International, a subsidiary of China Railway Group (CREC),132 is developing the project.

As of September 2, 2022, two China-made trains arrived in Jakarta and ten more trains are planned to be transported by early 2023.133

Unlike other Asian countries, Indonesia preferred a business-to-business approach for the financing of the BRI projects rather than direct loans from PRC, which has caused major delays to some projects. Land compensation has been another cause of delays, especially for large projects like the JBHSR. Several companies and communities have launchedlawsuits to seek compensation for land acquired by the state.134

133 Bangkok Post. 2 China-made

Jakarta. PUBLISHED: 2 SEP 2022 AT 19:32 https://www.bangkokpost.com/ world/2383040/2-china-made-trains-of-indonesia-high-speed-railway-arrive-in-jakarta of Indonesia

134 Dr. Sebastien Goulard. China’s BRI in some ASEAN countries (2/4): Indonesia’s GMF. One Belt One Road Europe (OBOReurope) https://www.oboreurope. com/en/chinas-bri-asean-indonesia/

135 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The Belt and Road Initiative in ASEAN: Indonesia, December 2020. https://iems.ust.hk/publications/ reports/uob-bri-indonesia