China’s Overseas Bullet Train: Malaysians Still Top Foreign Riders

China’s first overseas bullet train in Indonesia sees Malaysians the largest foreign passengers, shaping Whoosh’s and Belt and Road role.
File image of Indonesia's high speed railway that was built and financed by China. TIMUR MATAHARI / AFP

China’s first overseas high-speed rail in Indonesia, the Whoosh bullet train, is carrying a steady flow of foreign passengers, and Malaysians continue to account for the largest share, the operator said.

In less than two years since its inauguration in October 2023, the line has carried more than half a million international passengers. About 225,000 were Malaysians, or 43 percent, nearly one in two.

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