Indonesia high-speed rail project not halted, ministry says

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (2nd L) and the general manager of China Railway Corp. Sheng Guangzu (C) stand next to a model of a train while attending a ground breaking ceremony for the Jakarta-Bandung fast-train railway line in Walini, West Java province, Indonesia January 21, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

Reports that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project in Indonesia has stalled are not true, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

"China has noticed the relevant reports,'' ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily press briefing. "The information that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail has been halted is not correct," she said.

Earlier, Indonesian media cited Indonesian Transport Minister Ignasius Jonan as saying that the project has been blocked due to incomplete paperwork and issues that could not be resolved. As a result, the government could not issue the building permit and the concession agreement to the contractor, PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China.

"Governments and enterprises of China and Indonesia attribute high importance to the project and are cooperating closely to push forward relevant work," Hua said.

She said China expects to work with Indonesia to have the project quickly benefit the Indonesian people and take the chance to raise the level of pragmatic cooperation between the two nations.