STORY: Chinese, Indonesian presidents inaugurate official operation of Jakarta-Bandung HSR
DATELINE: Oct. 18, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:18
LOCATION: Beijing/Jakarta
CATEGORY: POLITICS/SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. Photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for Indonesian President Joko Widodo prior to their talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 17, 2023.
2. Photo of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indonesian President Joko Widodo jointly inaugurate the official operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway after their talks in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 17, 2023.
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Indonesian): ALLAN TANDIONO, Project management and business development director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XIA JIAN, Chief engineer of HSR project department of China Railway Design Group
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (Indonesian): MARENDRA PUTRA, Passenger
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (Indonesian): ERLINA NOVA JULIANA, Jakarta resident
7. SOUNDBITE 5 (Indonesian): DWIYANA SLAMET RIYADI, President director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)

STORYLINE:
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday held talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who is in Beijing to attend the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and pay an official visit to China.

After the talks, the two heads of state jointly inaugurated the official operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway.

The Jakarta-Bandung HSR connects Indonesia's capital Jakarta and West Java's provincial capital Bandung.

It is the first of its kind in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

With a design speed of 350 km/h, the Jakarta-Bandung HSR will cut the journey between the two cities from over three hours to around 46 minutes.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Indonesian): ALLAN TANDIONO, Project management and business development director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)
"If we look at 30-40 minutes now compared to 3 hours, that's a very significant change in terms of travel time."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XIA JIAN, Chief engineer of HSR project department of China Railway Design Group
"It's the first time for us to build high-speed rail under tropical rainforest climate. During Indonesia's rainy season, there's mud everywhere. The rock and soil on the ground were mixed with the rainwater from the top of the mountain. If you pick up a mudstone and rub it, and it would turn into powder."

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway project has created 51,000 jobs and 45,000 training opportunities for locals.

It is the first overseas high-speed railway project that fully uses Chinese railway systems, technology, and industrial components.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Indonesian): MARENDRA PUTRA, Passenger
"The train is fast, comfortable, and very stable at high speed."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Indonesian): ERLINA NOVA JULIANA, Jakarta resident
"I want to take my family for its launching because we love traveling."

SOUNDBITE 5 (Indonesian): DWIYANA SLAMET RIYADI, President director of PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia-China (KCIC)
"This is to raise our pride, the people of Indonesia, that this is the first high-speed railway in ASEAN."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing, Jakarta.
(XHTV)