China's high-speed rail draws praise from international attendees at World Congress

China's high-speed rail (HSR) technology has seen significant advancements and is gaining growing international recognition, delegates said at the 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail, which opened Tuesday in Beijing.

Held under the theme “High-Speed Rail: Innovation and Development for a Better Life,” the event attracted more than 2,000 participants, including railway engineers, business leaders, government officials, and representatives from international organizations.

One of the highlights of the discussion was the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway—known locally as "Whoosh"—a flagship Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project developed jointly by China and Indonesia.

From its launch on October 17, 2023 to late June this year, the “Whoosh” service has transported more than 10 million passengers.

According to operator PT Kereta Cepat Indonesia China (KCIC), the service has safely completed 29,778 train trips, covering over 4.63 million kilometers as of June 25, 2025.

"The Whoosh and Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail project is more than a business venture. It's a symbol of friendship and deep commitment between China and Indonesia. I believe that the cooperation between Indonesia and China goes beyond the Whoosh project alone. However, the presence of Whoosh has significantly strengthened the good relationship that has long existed between Indonesia and China," said Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, President Director of KCIC.

Chinese engineers are also transferring technical knowledge to Indonesian counterparts, enabling local teams to eventually operate and maintain the high-speed network independently.

The success of the project has sparked interest from other countries looking to modernize their rail infrastructure with Chinese expertise.

"You know that Chinese technologies are the best in the world right now. There is no doubt about that. So we want the best. Out of the [world's] high-speed rail I was told today, 70 percent of it is in China. So we want to learn from here," said Bilal Akbar Khan, Minister of Transport and Masstransit of Pakistan's Punjab Province.

The four-day congress, running through Friday, is jointly organized by China State Railway Group and the International Union of Railways (UIC), and serves as a major platform for global collaboration in the development of high-speed rail systems.

China's high-speed rail draws praise from international attendees at World Congress

President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung has expressed his hope that his upcoming visit to China will help eliminate past misunderstandings and issues, underscoring the importance of ties between the two countries.

At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office.

In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee acknowledged the existing misunderstandings and issues between the two countries, noting that addressing these issues is a key goal of his visit.

"The current international landscape is turbulent, with escalating issues among various countries. In this context, the relationship between the Republic of Korea and China holds significant importance for us. the ROK and China are deeply interconnected in many areas, including history, economy, geopolitics, politics and security. Northeast Asia's peace, stability, mutual respect, and common prosperity are crucial for both countries," said Lee.

"Admittedly, there have been some misunderstandings and issues between the ROK and China, which have hindered the development of bilateral relations to some extent. Therefore, the purpose of my upcoming visit to China is to minimize or eliminate these past issues, foster a leap in our bilateral relations to a new level, and solidify the ROK and China as partners that mutually support each other's development," he said.

ROK President hopes to reduce misunderstandings with China during upcoming visit