Spokesperson: Prabowo May Review China's Project If Elected
Pojok Pos. Some projects funded by China will undergo a review, if Prabowo Subianto was elected President of Indonesia in the 2019 Presidential Election. The spokesman did not say specifically, which Chinese projects will be reviewed. Meanwhile, analysts warn, terminating the project in the middle of the road can actually cause losses.
Indonesia can review China's supported infrastructure projects, if opposition leader Prabowo Subianto is elected president next year, officials in his campaign team said on Wednesday (24/10).
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo - who sought to advance in re-election - has been involved in an ambitious "One Belt One Way" initiative, and has made a dilapidated infrastructure increase in the country a priority during his first term. Jokowi will face Prabowo - a former commander of the Army special forces with a record of human rights issues - in the presidential election scheduled for April 17 next year.
"Some projects may be evaluated for needs, but need not be canceled," Andre Rosiade, spokesman for the Gerindra Party, responded to a question from BenarNews, an online news service affiliated with RFA, about whether Prabowo would review Chinese-backed projects if he won the presidency.
"Prabowo is not anti-foreign and is ready to work with foreign countries, but the welfare of the Indonesian people is his priority."
Andre did not say which projects would be reviewed.
"We will not review the project just because it is funded by a particular country. The projects to be reviewed are those that cause state losses and weaken the country, "said Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, spokesman for Prabowo's campaign.
"Pak Prabowo is against corrupt and manipulative practices, but he can work with investors from any country," he said.
Indonesia is building high-speed trains as far as 140 kilometers (87 miles), and several power plants on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan with funding from China.
The railway line, which connects the cities of Bandung in West Java and Jakarta, costs US $ 5.9 billion and is being built by a consortium led by China Railway International, according to information from the Indonesian government's National Investment Coordinating Board.
Jokowi launched the project in early 2016 with much fanfare, but the development was delayed for around two years due to problems in land acquisition, among other issues.
"Indonesia and China have good relations, but I think there are several projects that we want to review," said Hashim Djojohadikusumo — who is Prabowo's brother and campaign manager — to the South China Morning Post on Monday (10/22), referring to on One Belt, One Way.
"I'm sure there are some very good projects, and I'm sure some projects aren't needed."
Beijing Geopolitical Plan
Last year, Jokowi attended the One Belt One Road forum for two days, during which Beijing set out plans to invest more than US $ 1 trillion in its grand strategy of building a network of ports, roads, railways and other projects related to logistics, which stretched throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, and beyond.
The Maritime Silk Road is part of China's multi-branch strategy to improve its global trade relations by developing land and maritime lines, connecting the country and the largest economic center in the world with markets in Europe.
China and Indonesia established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1950. In 2003, bilateral trade reached US $ 3.8 billion, but that number doubled almost tenfold to US $ 36.1 billion in 2010, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development , an independent think tank based in Canada.
But Jakarta posted a trade deficit of US $ 14 billion in 2016, with trade imbalances benefiting Beijing. Trade between the two countries peaked at US $ 58.8 billion last year, with Indonesia importing around US $ 35.7 billion in goods from China, mostly electronics, including telephones and computers, according to official figures. Indonesia exports most of the coal, steel and palm oil briquettes.
Indonesia ranks fourth among China's biggest trading partners in Southeast Asia, after Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Jokowi said in 2017 that he believed the One Belt One Road initiative would strengthen economic relations between China and Indonesia, and his government focused on building its infrastructure.
China's regional rivals, India, have expressed doubts about China's geo-political strategy, and said that initiatives must be based on international norms, transparency and equality
Indonesia can review China's supported infrastructure projects, if opposition leader Prabowo Subianto is elected president next year, officials in his campaign team said on Wednesday (24/10).
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo - who sought to advance in re-election - has been involved in an ambitious "One Belt One Way" initiative, and has made a dilapidated infrastructure increase in the country a priority during his first term. Jokowi will face Prabowo - a former commander of the Army special forces with a record of human rights issues - in the presidential election scheduled for April 17 next year.
"Some projects may be evaluated for needs, but need not be canceled," Andre Rosiade, spokesman for the Gerindra Party, responded to a question from BenarNews, an online news service affiliated with RFA, about whether Prabowo would review Chinese-backed projects if he won the presidency.
"Prabowo is not anti-foreign and is ready to work with foreign countries, but the welfare of the Indonesian people is his priority."
Andre did not say which projects would be reviewed.
"We will not review the project just because it is funded by a particular country. The projects to be reviewed are those that cause state losses and weaken the country, "said Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak, spokesman for Prabowo's campaign.
"Pak Prabowo is against corrupt and manipulative practices, but he can work with investors from any country," he said.
Indonesia is building high-speed trains as far as 140 kilometers (87 miles), and several power plants on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan with funding from China.
The railway line, which connects the cities of Bandung in West Java and Jakarta, costs US $ 5.9 billion and is being built by a consortium led by China Railway International, according to information from the Indonesian government's National Investment Coordinating Board.
Jokowi launched the project in early 2016 with much fanfare, but the development was delayed for around two years due to problems in land acquisition, among other issues.
"Indonesia and China have good relations, but I think there are several projects that we want to review," said Hashim Djojohadikusumo — who is Prabowo's brother and campaign manager — to the South China Morning Post on Monday (10/22), referring to on One Belt, One Way.
"I'm sure there are some very good projects, and I'm sure some projects aren't needed."
Beijing Geopolitical Plan
Last year, Jokowi attended the One Belt One Road forum for two days, during which Beijing set out plans to invest more than US $ 1 trillion in its grand strategy of building a network of ports, roads, railways and other projects related to logistics, which stretched throughout Southeast Asia, South Asia, and beyond.
The Maritime Silk Road is part of China's multi-branch strategy to improve its global trade relations by developing land and maritime lines, connecting the country and the largest economic center in the world with markets in Europe.
China and Indonesia established diplomatic relations on April 13, 1950. In 2003, bilateral trade reached US $ 3.8 billion, but that number doubled almost tenfold to US $ 36.1 billion in 2010, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development , an independent think tank based in Canada.
But Jakarta posted a trade deficit of US $ 14 billion in 2016, with trade imbalances benefiting Beijing. Trade between the two countries peaked at US $ 58.8 billion last year, with Indonesia importing around US $ 35.7 billion in goods from China, mostly electronics, including telephones and computers, according to official figures. Indonesia exports most of the coal, steel and palm oil briquettes.
Indonesia ranks fourth among China's biggest trading partners in Southeast Asia, after Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Jokowi said in 2017 that he believed the One Belt One Road initiative would strengthen economic relations between China and Indonesia, and his government focused on building its infrastructure.
China's regional rivals, India, have expressed doubts about China's geo-political strategy, and said that initiatives must be based on international norms, transparency and equality
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