NHK


 

Officials of Japan and Indonesia have attended a ceremony to mark the construction of an extension of the subway in Jakarta.

The first subway in Indonesia began its operation in 2019 with Japanese technological cooperation and a yen loan. The line extends about 16 kilometers and connects the center of the capital and the south.

Construction is underway to extend the system to the north for about 5.8 kilometers.

The entire line is scheduled to begin operating in six years.
Competition over infrastructure projects in Indonesia has grown fierce in recent years.

China is building a high-speed railway connecting Jakarta and Bandung after winning an intense bidding competition with Japan in 2015.
South Korea also decided this year to start research on a metro railway construction.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kanasugi Kenji attended Saturday's ceremony. He said investment from Japan creates local jobs and promotes technical transfers, in the marked contrast to investment from other countries.

He expressed hopes for Japan to work with Indonesia to boost its infrastructure exports.