Jakarta. Indonesia is not just asking China to chip in some money to the multi-billion-dollar giant sea wall project, but other key Asian investors, Japan, and South Korea have also received a similar offer, according to a senior minister.

Indonesia wants to build a coastal defense along the northern coastline of its most populous island, Java. This giant sea wall is expected to stretch a whopping 500 kilometers to save local communities from tidal flood, although some reports indicated it could top 700 kilometers in length.

This megaproject boasts a price tag of $80 billion, more than double what Indonesia would need to build a new capital from scratch. The country is now in pursuit of some international funding, setting its sights on a public-private scheme. President Prabowo Subianto had pitched the project to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during his Beijing trip on Wednesday. It turns out China is not the only investor that Indonesia is eyeing.

“We have offered the giant sea wall project to South Korea, Japan, and Europe as well,” Airlangga told the press shortly after a business meeting in Jakarta.

The minister did not disclose the European country in question. But past media reports showed that the Netherlands, home to the 32-kilometer Afsluitdijk dam, had shown interest. The same applies to South Korea, which features the Saemangeum, one of the world’s largest sea walls, measuring 33.9 kilometers in length. Another potential investor, Japan, has significantly increased the height of its seawalls after the devastating 2011 tsunami. 

Asked whether China had said yes to the project during Xi-Prabowo’s recent meeting, Airlangga alluded that the talks were still at a nascent stage. Indonesia is still working on the study that will lay out the phases of the construction. The minister said: “We will offer one of those phases to several countries, including China.”

Deputy Public Works Minister Diana Kusumastuti said earlier that day the government was considering making some “minor changes” to the giant sea wall masterplan. Just last week, Prabowo had set up a body dedicated to overseeing the coastal defense project. Deputy Fishery Minister Didit Herdiawan Ashaf is assuming a dual role by also heading this freshly minted body. This agency is expected to update the concepts to make sure they suit today’s conditions. 

Add as a preferred source on Google +