China Ambassador: Whoosh Debt Restructuring Talks Progressing Well

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Wang Lutong has confirmed that discussions on the debt restructuring of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway project, known as Whoosh, between Indonesia and China are continuing well. “We continue to communicate closely with key figures and relevant ministries. Everything is proceeding well,” Wang said in response to reporters’ questions after the China-Indonesia Media and Think Tank Forum 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that the project’s debt is not trade debt, but rather funds lent by China to a development bank, which then provided loans for the Whoosh project. However, when asked whether a specific agreement had been reached regarding the Whoosh debt restructuring, Ambassador Wang said he could not yet provide further details. “It is still not possible to disclose details amid the ongoing discussions. What is certain is that everything is going according to plan,” the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia stated. Last April, Indonesian Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa revealed that the debt restructuring for the Whoosh project had been completed. “It’s done (the restructuring), just waiting to be announced,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday (22/4). The government has also conveyed the outcome to the Chinese government. This step was taken to maintain long-term bilateral relations and trust between the two countries. “Yesterday I met with China’s Finance Minister. This relates to the long-term relationship between Indonesia and China. I told China’s Finance Minister that a decision has been made, and it just needs to be announced,” Purbaya said at the time. Then on 23 April, Danantara Indonesia CEO Rosan Roeslani stated that the debt restructuring scheme for the Whoosh project had entered the fine-tuning stage. Amid the debt restructuring process, President Prabowo Subianto decided to establish the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway Committee through Presidential Regulation Number 29 of 2026, signed on 12 May 2026. The President also appointed Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono as Chairman of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway Committee. Regarding the Whoosh project, AHY stressed that the government is currently prioritising the completion of the financial restructuring before moving on to the next phase of extending the high-speed rail project to other areas.