Chinese Ambassador: Discussion on Restructuring Whoosh Debt is Going Well

JAKARTA - Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Wang Lutong ensured that the discussion on the restructuring of the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Train or Whoosh debt between Indonesia and China is still going well.

"We continue to communicate closely with important people and relevant ministries. Everything went well," Wang said in response to a reporter's question when he was met after the China-Indonesia Media and Think Tank Forum 2026 in Jakarta, Wednesday, June 24, reported by ANTARA.

He said the debt for the high-speed train project was not a trade debt, but funds loaned by China to a development bank, which then lent money for the Whoosh project.

However, when asked about whether a specific agreement had been reached regarding the restructuring of Whoosh's debt, Ambassador Wang said he could not provide further details.

"It is still not possible to convey the details in the middle of the ongoing discussions. What is certain is that everything is going according to plan," said the Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia.

Last April, the Minister of Finance (Menkeu) of the Republic of Indonesia, Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, revealed that the debt restructuring of the Whoosh project had been completed. "It's over (restructuring), it's just announced," he said in Jakarta, Wednesday (22/4).

The government has also conveyed the results to the Chinese government. This step is taken to maintain long-term bilateral relations and trust between the two countries.

"Yesterday I met the Chinese Finance Minister. This is related to the long-term relationship between Indonesia and China. I told the Chinese Finance Minister that it had been decided, it just had to be announced," said Purbaya at that time.

Then on April 23, Danantara Indonesia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rosan Roeslani stated that the Whoosh project debt restructuring scheme had entered the fine-tuning stage.

In the midst of the debt restructuring process of Whoosh, the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, decided to form the Jakarta Bandung High Speed Train Committee through Presidential Regulation of the Republic of Indonesia Number 29 of 2026 which was signed on May 12, 2026.

The President also appointed Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development (Menko IPK) Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) as Chairman of the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Train Committee.

Regarding the Whoosh project, AHY emphasized that the government currently prioritizes the completion of financial restructuring before moving on to the next development phase of the high-speed train project to other regions.