G20 Summit to convene in Indonesia
World leaders from the 20 largest economies will convene in Bali, Indonesia today for the G20 Summit.
The global economy will be the focus of the two-day event. However, Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, will likely use his country’s time in the spotlight to secure much-needed development deals from fellow G20 members.
Jokowi is uniquely interested in increased investment in the transportation system surrounding Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, where the metropolitan area houses an estimated 30 million people. Although China’s Belt and Road Initiative has played a seminal role in supporting Jakarta’s transportation development with the construction of the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail, more investment is still needed. As such, Jokowi will likely seek an audience with China’s General Secretary Xi Jinping around the time that Xi is expected to virtually attend the November 16 trial run of the high-speed rail.
In meeting with Xi, Jokowi could focus on the expansion of Jakarta’s mass rapid transit (MRT) system. Should this occur, a final deal may not be secured during the Summit. However, a guarantee to meet in the near-term may be just as beneficial, giving Jokowi a foundation to begin MRT expansion plans to ease systemic transportation woes in Jakarta.
