CNN —
Imagine hopping on a train in southwestern China, traveling nearly 3,000 miles, and arriving in Singapore in less than 30 hours.
That’s the scenario China is envisioning for Southeast Asia as part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive overseas infrastructure development program launched more than a decade ago.
In 2021, the semi-high-speed Laos-China Railway opened to passengers, connecting Kunming, a commercial hub in southwestern China, and Vientiane, the capital of Laos. The journey took about 10 hours and covered about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), authorities said. It increased the number of Chinese travelers by land, while providing significant benefits to local traders and businesses in this small, landlocked country.
And with Chinese aid, Southeast Asia’s first bullet train will start operating in October 2023 in Indonesia after years of setbacks and delays, connecting the capital Jakarta and one of the country’s largest cities and important arts and culture centers. Connected Bandung, West Java.
Meanwhile, a second high-speed rail project is underway in Thailand, aimed at connecting Bangkok with the Lao-China Railway, but is now facing further delays and rising construction costs. It is being operated in stages, and the Thai government currently expects the entire line to be operational by 2028, although the Chinese government has not released a detailed schedule.
The project, seen by some analysts as a “financial trap”, has sparked intense debate and scrutiny in Thailand, with the government asking for $5 billion (179 billion baht) in construction costs for the first phase. I agreed to pay the full amount. Reuters reported. The Chinese side will be responsible for system installation, train design, and procurement.
Once the line is finally completed, the plan would extend into northern Malaysia, connecting to the capital Kuala Lumpur, and eventually heading south 350 kilometers (218 miles) to end in Singapore.
Bids by a local and international consortium were submitted for the lucrative project in January. However, Japanese companies including JR East reportedly decided that the risk was too great without formal financial support from the Malaysian government and withdrew.
“China already boasts the world’s largest high-speed rail network, and Chinese companies have long been looking to sell and export their infrastructure technology to other countries,” said Travel and Consumer Trends Analyst at tourism firm Checkin Asia. says founder Gary Bowerman. The company focuses on research and marketing.
Southeast Asia was a “natural” choice because of its “closeness to China,” Bowerman added.
“Direct train links between mainland cities and Laos and other Southeast Asian countries (down) would be easier and more advantageous for Chinese travelers who do not want to make long-distance, long-distance travel.”
Southeast Asia has long been a big draw for Chinese travelers, experts say, offering everything from ancient temples in Laos and pristine beaches in Thailand to lush rainforests and eco-tours in Malaysia. points out.
“Many countries share borders with China and a long history,” said Pong Souvannasen, an assistant professor of political economist at Bentley University’s Global Studies Department.
“China, of course, views Southeast Asia as a major export market as well as a key security region, and ultimately wants to bring Southeast Asian countries within its geopolitical sphere of influence.” .”
Peerapong Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images
Chinese tourists visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
Interestingly, experts add that the region’s large Chinese diaspora is also a big draw.
“Cities such as Penang and Malacca in Malaysia, as well as Phuket’s Old Town with its temples and architecture, were built by Chinese immigrants and are very popular with Chinese tourists because of their historical and cultural connections,” Bower said. Mann says.
Added to this is the growing popularity of train travel. Especially among young Chinese tourists, Bowerman adds, many of whom are keen on sustainable travel and looking for a new sense of adventure.
Pan Wenbo, a 30-year-old security expert from Beijing, told CNN that to make an epic train journey from his home country across Southeast Asia, he would need to take a flight instead of flying, which is cheaper and offers lots of beautiful scenery along the way. He said there is. Mr Pang has visited Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines in the past five years and is keen to explore other countries in the region, he said.
People like college student Mei Wei get travel tips and inspiration from popular influencers on Chinese social media apps such as Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, and Youku, China’s YouTube.
Thanks to some travel videos he’s watched in recent months, Wei is currently planning a summer trip to Laos, Cambodia and possibly Thailand to visit “unique tourist spots” such as the Angkor Wat temple complex in Siem Reap. He said he was planning a trip.
She told CNN she was particularly excited about traveling by train.
“I don’t really like flying. In China, I prefer taking the train because you can see more on the ground (than taking a plane from above) and you can go directly to the center of the city.” love.”
“It also helps that even if you’re at the mercy of the airline, the prices are usually consistent and cheaper than booking a flight,” she added.
issues and controversies
China’s Belt and Road Initiative was launched when President Xi Jinping took office.
In addition to high-speed rail and multibillion-dollar sea bridges and highways, ports, airports, power plants and communications networks all play a fundamental role in building the new “Silk Road” that the ruling Chinese Communist Party hopes to build. Fulfilling.
Experts say many of these projects, such as the China-Laos Railway, were designed with economic interests in mind. According to Chinese state media, China-Laos Railway transported a total of 4.22 million tons of cargo in 2023, an increase of 94.91% from the previous year.
Suvarna Sen, a political economist who rode the train several months after passenger service began in April 2023, said the train is a freight project “even though it is near full construction and opening.” He said it is clear that China and Thailand are major trade and Laos nodes. He was entrusted with the responsibility of a large-scale project.
“It is a great reminder of the Orient Express and how, while it benefited the Habsburg and Ottoman empires, it left the Balkan hinterland in debt and crippled its economy more than a century later. ”
China-funded and supported infrastructure projects are also widely viewed with suspicion, with China seeking to gain influence and control over smaller neighboring countries while having significant financial impact on struggling countries. It has been criticized as an attempt by the Chinese government.
“I think Beijing ultimately wants to bring Southeast Asian countries within its sphere of geopolitical influence. These projects are always in line with Beijing’s strategic and geopolitical interests. ”, Suvarnasen said, highlighting the financial burden placed on Laos after the multibillion-dollar Chinese-funded railway project.
“The funds lent to the Lao government through Chinese government loans must be repaid in the near future. The impact is clear.”
In Malaysia, where plans for a high-speed railway with neighboring Singapore are underway, many experts have consistently voiced strong opposition and are taking a cautious stance regarding sovereignty. Some have drawn similarities to Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station, which opened to much fanfare and controversy in 2018.
The $10.75 billion infrastructure investment will connect Hong Kong with 44 destinations in mainland China, including major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. However, it also allows mainland China’s laws to apply to some terminal stations in Hong Kong, a controversial arrangement that drew fierce criticism from the public for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Officials on both sides defended the station and high-speed rail as a means of expanding economic opportunity and a “convenient means of cross-border transportation.” But critics, many of them Hongkongers, said this was an unwanted and uncalled for development.
“It has to do with fear, resentment and anxiety toward China, and a perception of Hong Kong’s declining position vis-à-vis China,” experts told CNN at the time of the launch.
Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
Staff wait for passengers to board the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed train during the week-long public trial phase at Halim Station in Jakarta, September 17, 2023.
“Cross-border infrastructure always involves multiple countries and governments and involves issues of sovereignty and law,” said Wong Moo Lung, managing director and founder of Kuala Lumpur-based corporate advisory firm Astramina Advisory. That’s going to happen,” he says. “On top of the cost, that in itself is huge and not something that can be easily addressed.”
Mr Wong reiterated that while there are “clear benefits” to high-speed rail, decisions to build and operate high-speed rail must balance costs and benefits.
“In the example of a high-speed train between Malaysia and Singapore, there is likely to be only one stop in Singapore, and more stops in Malaysia,” Wong told CNN. “But who has the final say? And the influx of additional external funds from China will further complicate matters.
“At least for now, there is no need for high-speed rail between Malaysia and Singapore, especially when efficient rail trains and sub-3 hour flights already exist. It would be difficult.”
