China, Indonesia to ensure high-quality operation of Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway: spokesman

China is willing to work with Indonesia to ensure the high-quality operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, and continue carrying out cooperation in talent training, technology transfer and other aspects, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing in Beijing on Friday.

Lin made the remarks in response to a report that Indonesian drivers are now capable of driving high-speed trains at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

"Since the successful opening of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway last year, the teams of both sides have carried out all-round cooperation in high-speed railway operation and management, talent training, technology transfer and other aspects. As far as we know, at present, the Chinese operation team of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway has completed the qualification training of the first batch of more than 160 trainees including Indonesian high-speed train drivers and other positions. We are delighted that Indonesia now has its own high-speed railway technical team which is not only a vivid epitome of the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation between China and Indonesia, but also an interpretation of the concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits upheld by the Belt and Road Initiative. China is willing to work with Indonesia to ensure the high-quality operation of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway and make it a road to prosperity, happiness and safety," Lin said.

The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) is a flagship project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, which officially started operation on Oct 17, 2023.

China, Indonesia to ensure high-quality operation of Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway: spokesman

China's automobile industry showed a growing trend in August, with both production and sales of vehicles increasing month on month, while those of new energy vehicles (NEVs) recorded a double-digit year-on-year growth, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers on Tuesday.

In August, auto production and sales in China surpassed 2.49 million and 2.45 million units, respectively, showing month-on-month increases of 9 percent and 8.5 percent, with year-on-year decreases of 3.2 percent and 5 percent, indicating a smaller decline compared with the previous month.

During the January-August period, auto production and sales totaled about 18.67 million and 18.77 million units respectively, reflecting year-on-year growth of 2.5 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

In August, the production and sales of NEVs achieved 1.09 million and 1.10 million units, respectively, representing an increase of 29.6 percent and 30 percent year on year. The sales of NEVs in August account for 44.8 percent of the new vehicle sales in China.

In the first eight months of this year, the production of NEVs reached nearly 7.01 million units, rising 29 percent year on year. The sales of NEVs hit almost 7.04 million units, growing by 30.9 percent from a year earlier. The market share of NEVs in China reached 37.5 percent in the period.

On the export front, auto exports reached 511,000 units in August, marking a year-on-year increase of 25.4 percent. Among these, exports of NEVs totaled 110,000 units, showing a 22-percent growth year on year.

China's auto industry reports rising vehicle production, sales in August