As a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Indonesia's Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR), locally dubbed "Whoosh," has slashed travel times between the nation's bustling capital Jakarta and the cultural hub of Bandung from over three hours to just 40 minutes.
As the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, the 142.3-kilometer line has served more than 9 million passengers in the 19 months since its inauguration in October 2023, the Xinhua News Agency reported on May 22.
This transformative project was constructed entirely using China's railway systems, technology and industrial components, exemplifying the BRI's capacity to leapfrog regional connectivity and accelerate economic integration.
The achievement gains particular significance as leaders gather for the inaugural ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit this week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The trilateral summit is emerging as a milestone platform to accelerate regional integration, with China and BRI partner countries leveraging technological collaboration, green energy initiatives, and digital infrastructure to counter rising trade barriers.
"The Jakarta-Bandung HSR is a big step for Indonesia because we have never had this kind of technology before," said Priyadi Hadi Asmoro, a senior business analyst from Indonesia Eximbank. "It is creating jobs, providing cheaper funding, enabling technology transfer, and driving economic growth."
In a volatile climate, adapting to uncertainty by shifting from reliance on single markets to diversified strategies is the new reality for firms and traders, according to Asmoro. For developing countries like Indonesia, deepening ties with China is a logical choice, due to China's industrial strength and technological capabilities, he told the Global Times in a recent interview.
Similar success stories can be found across the region. The Vinh Tân 1 Thermal Power Plant in Bình Thuận Province, southern Vietnam, stands as a flagship project of China-Vietnam energy cooperation. Not only has it injected vitality into the local economy, but it has also fostered a thriving marine ecosystem, demonstrating BRI's commitment to sustainable growth, the Global Times learned from the project developer.
The project is considered a model BRI energy initiative developed by China Southern Power Grid Co (CSG). In recent years, responding to the Green BRI initiative, the power plant has achieved remarkable results in ecological restoration. Its supercritical W-flame boiler technology reduces pollutant emissions by 50 percent relative to Vietnam's national standards, achieving zero wastewater discharge, said Hu Nan, deputy general manager of CSG International's Vinh Tân company.
The plant's ash yard is repurposed through fly ash reuse and vegetation restoration, leading to the expansion of nearby coral reefs and attracting fish, waterbirds, and rare Bryde's whales. "This project shows industrial growth and nature can coexist, offering a Chinese solution for global green transition," Hu told the Global Times on Thursday.
Further integration
The recent trilateral summit is expected to significantly expand opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation. During the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang urged the three sides to unswervingly expand regional opening-up, and build the related regions into a large shared market where resources, technologies and talents flow more efficiently, and trade and investment enjoy greater freedom and convenience, so as to fully unleash the powerful effect of open development.
The summit's outcomes underscore this ambition. The trilateral joint statement issued during the meeting pledges to advance high-quality cooperation under the BRI and seamless connectivity, including the development of logistics corridors and digital platforms. They also agree to foster new economic opportunities in emerging and future-focused sectors, including digital and green technologies.
As part of recent developments, Malaysia and GCC have restarted negotiating a long-delayed free trade agreement (FTA) to strengthen economic and trade relations on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday, with the trilateral joint announcement expecting the early completion of China-GCC FTA negotiation.
Just a week earlier, China and the ten ASEAN countries have fully completed negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA). The upgraded agreement introduces nine new chapters covering areas such as digital economy, green economy, and supply chain connectivity, achievement that Chinese officials said will inject greater certainty into regional and global trade.
With ASEAN's abundant natural resources and younger population, the GCC's role as a key energy and investment hub, and China's technological strength, this strengthening partnership will stabilize regional supply chains and foster economic resilience amid rising global protectionism, said Liang Haiming, dean of Hainan University Belt and Road Research Institute.
CSG's Hu anticipated that this landmark summit would generate more investment and cooperation opportunities for Chinese firms in BRI partner countries, especially in sectors such as digital infrastructure and eco-energy.
From January to April 2025, China's trade with ASEAN reached 2.38 trillion yuan ($335 billion), up 9.2 percent, allowing the region to maintain its position as China's largest trading partner, official data showed. China has also achieved substantial progress in trade and energy cooperation with the GCC. In 2024, bilateral trade reached $288.09 billion, with China importing 180 million tons of crude oil from the six GCC countries.
Digitalized future
The trilateral summit convened as US tariffs continue to undermine the normal global trade system. Liang noted China's advantages in 5G, AI, green energy, and cross-border e-commerce, could support regional infrastructure upgrades and industrial transformation. "This would not only boost employment and sustainable growth but also enhance regional innovation and foster new industrial chains and a shared market to tackle the tariff pressures," he said.
Lam Lung-on, president of the Greater Bay Area Importers and Exporters Association, stressed the importance of strengthened trade cooperation with emerging markets amid trade uncertainties. "Businesses, especially those with high reliance on the US market, are expanding into markets such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa," he told the Global Times.
His chamber is ramping up efforts to integrate AI into cross-border trade, enabling Chinese firms to penetrate ASEAN and other BRI markets, with their own digital platform facilitating this shift leveraging AI and digital trade tools. "AI plus cross-border e-commerce is key," Lam noted, citing its ability to enable precise marketing, intelligent logistics, and efficient inventory management.
Asmoro also anticipated extensive government and private sector cooperation between China and Indonesia under BRI in emerging sectors such as telecommunications, smart cities, data centers, and renewable energy facilities. "The new trend will also create more opportunities for local enterprises and investors," he emphasized.
Beyond ASEAN, collaboration between China and GCC nations in emerging sectors is also gaining momentum. The 4th Global Digital Trade Expo is set to open this September in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. At a Dubai roadshow on May 21, Ali M. Al-Khouri, Chairman of the Arab Federation for Digital Economy, highlighted Gulf states' strong interest in digital collaboration with China, pledged to strengthen digital economy cooperation with China through Hangzhou, a pioneer in the sector.
"With strengthened cooperation, our high-quality exports to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, other Belt and Road markets will continue growing, providing stability for both sides amid uncertainties," Lam said.