Part 2/13:
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) promised to forge a new era of connectivity across Asia and beyond. The Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail—Indonesia's flagship project—was sold as a symbol of modern progress, designed to demonstrate that China could outbuild, outshine, and outpace Japan in regional infrastructure development. The project was envisioned as a cutting-edge transit link, meant to symbolize Southeast Asia’s economic integration and China's rising influence.