Interview: Indonesian minister says he looks forward to taking Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train

Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno speaks during an interview with Xinhua at the media center for the 17th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in Bali, Indonesia, Nov. 15, 2022. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

BALI, Indonesia, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia hopes to strengthen cooperation with China in the fields of tourism, infrastructure and digital economy to inject new impetus into the development of bilateral ties, a senior Indonesian official said here on Tuesday.

China is Indonesia's largest trading partner, and bilateral trade and investment cooperation have developed rapidly, particularly in the areas of green economy, infrastructure and high-speed railway, creating huge job opportunities for the country, Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno said in an interview with Xinhua.

Uno spoke highly of the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway, an Indonesia-China joint venture still under construction.

"I look forward to becoming one of the very first customers of the high speed train linking Bandung to Jakarta," said the minister.

He said Bandung and Jakarta have been the two most important centers in Indonesia in terms of economy, social development and many aspects of Indonesians' livelihood.

As the railway will cut traveling time from about 3 hours to 40 minutes, Uno said the project is "very historic."

"It's completely a game changer. It will transform people's life," he said.

Uno said Bandung and West Java have the largest domestic tourist market in Indonesia with close to 120 million movement of tourists per year, and the Jakarta-Bandung high speed railway is going to be a major addition to the current infrastructure.

Uno said he hoped Indonesia and China would enhance cooperation particularly in the tourism sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a huge negative impact on many sectors, including tourism, said the minister. "We lost almost 1 million plus job," he said, adding that cooperation with China is very important for the recovery of Indonesia's tourism sector.

Having visited China for many times, Uno said he was amazed by China's speed of development, especially in areas such as infrastructure, innovations and research and development, hoping that the two countries will further their cooperation in digital economy, tourism and the creative economy.

"These are potential investment opportunities that will strengthen the bilateral relations between China and Indonesia. Also, it's a win-win scenario. We would be able to prosper together," he said.