Indonesia’s investment chief Thomas Lembong is optimistic that the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed rail project is back on track after years of mismanagement, but the concern over how long it will take to recoup the costs of the ambitious joint venture still remains.

While there has been much enthusiasm for the BRI, it has also received its share of criticism.

An S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies commentary noted that some countries like the United States see it as a cover for debt-trap diplomacy, through which China traps borrowing countries in unrepayable debts to gain political leverage.