Articles by Michael Hutahaean

Indonesia’s high-speed rail hits a money crunch — can it pull through?

Indonesia’s Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail (Whoosh) faces heavy financial losses as ridership falls short and debt payments rise. Can the project overcome these challenges and stay on track? Researcher Michael Hutahaean and academic Chen Xiangming examine the situation.

Michael Hutahaean, Chen Xiangming

12 Dec 2025

Nusantara: Indonesia’s bold new capital and China’s rising influence

China is playing a major role in Indonesia, not least in the relocation of Indonesia’s capital from Jakarta to Nusantara, where China is involved in areas from infrastructure to high-tech industries. Researcher Michael Hutahaean and academic Chen Xiangming tell us more.

Michael Hutahaean, Chen Xiangming

08 Aug 2025

BRI's Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway: High costs but high returns

A few months after its inauguration, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway, the first of its kind that China built overseas with its own integrated system of design, engineering, equipment, technology, and standards, is proving to be a harbinger of stronger and more extensive China-Indonesia economic cooperation.

Michael Hutahaean, Chen Xiangming

08 Feb 2024