Indonesia’s huge China-backed ‘green’ industrial estate raises deforestation, environment fears

When Indonesian President Joko Widodo officiated the groundbreaking ceremony last month on what has been touted as the world’s largest green industrial estate, he said it would spur the country’s “economic transformation” from raw material exporter to a significant player in the global supply chain.But concerns have been raised about the China-backed project’s green credentials, as rainforest will have to be cut down and biodiversity threatened to build the five hydroelectric dams that are…