Indonesia's China-funded high-speed rail: A game-changer for Southeast Asia

Indonesia is set to launch Southeast Asia's first high-speed railway, a China-backed project that has faced delays and budget overruns. The $7.2 billion Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train, which connects the two cities in under an hour, is seen as President Joko Widodo's legacy. While the project is expected to strengthen ties with China and open doors to more Belt and Road Initiative projects, critics argue that the debt repayments and loan interest will be a burden for the country. The project's budget ballooned by $1.2 billion, and the loan from China has been criticized for being higher than what Japan offered. Despite the challenges, Widodo is satisfied with the project and plans to extend the railway further.