No completion date for China projects

By Marc Membrere 22 June 2021, 10:00AM

There is still no specific date for the completion of two Chinese-funded amenities and infrastructure projects in Samoa, says the Chinese Embassy in Apia.

Responding to questions sent by the Samoa Observer through email, Chinese Embassy attaché Qi Jingsi said the China-Samoa Friendship Park and the Samoa Arts and Culture Center are ongoing. 

“The construction of China-Samoa Friendship Park and the Samoa Arts and Culture Center projects are making steady progress,” Ms. Jingsi said.

“There is no specific date for the completion of these projects but we'll advance the construction process as soon as possible.”


Ms. Jingsi, however, did not respond to specific questions regarding the cost of both projects and the number of other Chinese-funded projects in Samoa.

In December 2020 it was reported that Chinese government-funded projects earmarked for Samoa will continue to be delayed due to the closure of the international border.

Projects such as the Police Academy, the Vaiusu Port and primary school projects for St Therese, Apia and Lepea are affected by the border closure brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Shaanxi Construction Engineering Group Corporation has been selected as the construction company for the Police Academy Project at Tafaigata.

In December last year, the Samoa-China Friendship Park project was 85 per cent complete while the Samoa Arts and Cultural Center was 95 per cent done.


The Samoa Arts and Culture Center is constructed by the Shanghai Construction Group and upon its opening will house national treasures of Samoan culture and heritage, and become a venue for performing arts and orchestra as well as house and art shop, exhibition space and a restaurant.

The Samoa-China Friendship Park is part of the Apia Waterfront Development Project which covers the area behind the FMFMII Government Building at Eleele Fou. It is designed to enable cultural communication, entertainment, sports and recreational activities as well as performances and gathering.

In April a total of 198 passengers arrived on a charter flight organised by the China Harbour Engineering Company in collaboration with the Embassy of China in Apia.

Fifty-six of those passengers flew to Samoa to work on the construction of the new Chinese Embassy premises and 16 of those passengers were brought in to build the Arts and Culture Centre at Malifa, which comes under the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture.

By Marc Membrere 22 June 2021, 10:00AM
Samoa Observer

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