[3] Concepts for high-speed rail (HSR) in Indonesia were first seriously contemplated in 2008, leading to discussions at Asian Investment Summit in 2013, and detailed plans being set forth in 2015.

[23] The plan to start construction of the Jakarta-Bandung HSR was announced by the Indonesian government in July 2015, after the Chinese President and other world leaders visited the Bandung Conference.

[27] The idea of high-speed rail backed by funding through soft loans has been proposed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Indonesian island of Java, linking up the densely populated corridor from the capital Jakarta to Surabaya (730 km (450 mi)).

[28][29] The island, similar in many respects including terrain and urban density to pre-HSR Honshu, suffered greatly from both freight and passenger congestion.

[citation needed] Japanese domination in the high-speed rail project appeared to be unchallenged until April 2015, when China made a counter-offer.

[32] In July 2015, the Indonesian government released its plan to build the high-speed rail connecting Jakarta and Bandung, and arranged a contest between Japanese and Chinese train-makers as potential bidders.

[24] China responded by launching the Chinese High-speed Rail Technology Exposition in Senayan City shopping mall in Jakarta in August 2015.

[34][35] President Joko Widodo was expected to announce the winning bid of Indonesia's first high-speed rail project in early September 2015.

[36] In mid-September 2015, China announced it would fully meet the Indonesian government's demands and offered a new proposal that did not require Indonesia to assume any fiscal burden or debt guarantee in proceeding with the project.

[37] Indonesia's State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno confirmed the Chinese bid was picked instead of the Japanese plan because of its relaxed financing.

[48] In October 2016, the Indonesian government announced its intention to build a 600-kilometre (370 mi) medium-high speed railway between Jakarta and Surabaya, and invited Japan to participate in this project.

Subsequently, President Joko Widodo removed the Jakarta-Surabaya semi-high speed train from the national strategic project (PSN) towards the end of his term in 2024.

[54] This incident highlighted the refusal of Indonesian Air Force to give up lands belonging to the Halim Perdanakusuma airbase in East Jakarta.

[55] In February 2018, Onan Hiroshi, a Japanese cartoonist, described Indonesian President Joko Widodo as a "High-speed rail beggar"[56] pointing out Indonesia's request for Japan's assistance in completing the project.

The cartoon quickly drew protest from Indonesian internet users, and by 25 February, the cartoonist tweeted an apology, removed the drawings, and closed the page.

[62][63] The China Railway Group Limited (CREC) will form a joint venture with a consortium of Indonesia's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) led by PT Wijaya Karya Tbk in developing the first High Speed Train (HST) in the country.

[64] On Friday, 16 October 2015, Chinese and Indonesian state-owned companies officially signed the deal to build the first high-speed railway in Indonesia.

The deal was signed by China Railway International Co. Ltd. Chairman Yang Zhongmin and Dwi Windarto, the president director of a consortium of Indonesian state companies, PT Pilar Sinergi BUMN Indonesia.

[84][85] According to the Jakarta Post, Dwiyana Slamet Riyadi, the president director of KCIC, said that based on a 2022 third-party review, demand for the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Rail line had fallen to 31,215 passenger trips per day, just over half of the 61,157 estimated in a 2017 feasibility study.