Suramadu, Power Plants and Trade Deficit

Across East Java's Madura strait, spans the longest cable bridge in Indonesia, an iconic example of a cooperative infrastructure project between Indonesia and China. The bridge is a realization of a longstanding dream to link the islands of Java and Madura. "The vision to connect the major islands existed as far back as the 1960s," said Christine Susanna Tjhin, an observer of China's social and political issues, from the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS).

The Suramadushort for Surabaya-Madurabridge, spans over 5.4 kilometers, its concrete structure expected to last 100 years. The Rp4.5 trillion bridge was built in 2003 by a consortium of Indonesian companies collaborating with the China Road and Bridge Corporation and the China Harbor Engineering Company. The 818-meter main bridge, imported from China, is supported by four 146-meter high pylons, while the remaining portion was built by local contractors.