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Xi congratulates Indonesian president on HSR groundbreaking

Xinhua, January 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a congratulation letter to his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on the groundbreaking of a high-speed railway (HSR) that will link Jakarta with the provincial capital of West Java, Bandung.

In the letter, Xi said the cooperative construction of the HSR is an important consensus between the two countries and also a great early achievement after the conjoining of the Chinese and Indonesian strategies.

As the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, Jakarta-Bandung HSR will vigorously drive the development of the area along the railway to form a "Jakarta-Bandung HSR economic belt," Xi said.

The Chinese president said the successful implementation of the project set a new record in bilateral pragmatic cooperation and will serve as a fresh model for cooperation in other fields, especially in infrastructure and production capacity.

In October 2015, China and Indonesia signed a joint venture agreement on the construction and operation of the HSR. The Indonesian side will control 60 percent of the 5.5-billion-U.S.-dollar project.

President Xi expressed the hope that the two sides make persistent efforts and cooperate closely to ensure the smooth implementation and timely completion of the project, making it a successful example of China-Indonesia mutually beneficial cooperation.

As two developing powers in Asia, both are faced with the weighty tasks of developing the economy and improving people's well-being, Xi said. China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative is highly-matched with Indonesia's Global Maritime Axis vision, offering an important opportunity for both sides to seek common development and prosperity, said the Chinese president.

The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative was first introduced by Xi during his visit to Indonesia in October 2013, aiming to open greater horizons for further trade and economic cooperation with the world.

As a country located at the intersection of two oceans and two continents, Indonesia is determined to become a "global maritime axis."

Xi said he believed that the two sides will carry on more practical cooperation in wider fields to promote further deepening of the comprehensive strategic partnership and benefit the two countries and peoples.

China's high-speed railway has in recent years been seen as a new face of "made in China" for its low cost, quick delivery, and acknowledged reliability.

In 2014, China's first overseas high-speed rail project was completed in Turkey, where a 533 km-long railway links the capital Ankara with Istanbul.

The first high-speed railway project in the United States with Chinese investment connecting Las Vegas and Los Angeles is expected to kick off as early as September 2016. Endi