JAKARTA -- In a surprise twist, an Indonesian cabinet minister on Tuesday informed Japan that his government is poised to build a high-speed rail line with China.
The Indonesian government "is considering welcoming China's proposal," Sofyan Djalil, Indonesia's national development planning minister, told Yoshihide Suga, Japan's chief cabinet secretary. Djalil was in Tokyo as a special envoy of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
The line is to connect Jakarta with Bandung, the capital of the province of West Java. Djalil delivered the message weeks after the Indonesian government rejected proposals from both Japan and China.
Suga said it is "difficult to understand" Jakarta's sudden change in policy.
