Fijian PM satisfied with China-aided bridge project

SUVA — Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama inspected on Friday a China-aided bridge project in downtown Suva, capital of Fiji, showing his satisfaction with the development and quality of the project which is under construction by China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co Ltd.

Accompanied by Chinese ambassador to Fiji Zhang Ping, Bainimarama inspected the Stinson Bridge project with interest and talked with Fijian workers. He asked a Chinese project manager about the progress and the quality management related to the bridge project, which started in 2016 and is scheduled to complete early next year.

The prime minister thanked the Chinese government and the Chinese people for the different aids China has provided over the past decades, which, including the building of the bridge project, have made contributions to the South Pacific island state's social and economic development.

"I am very impressed of their work here. The bridge is being built by China Railway 14th Bureau Group Co Ltd, but I will be back in next February to permit the new road," he told Xinhua, adding that he wanted to thank the Chinese people for bringing the company to work here in Fiji "because they make good bridges and employ our people, so next year employ our people again."

For his part, Zhang Ping said he was very glad that the Fijian prime minister made a successful tour to the construction site of the bridge and gave his recognition to the work done by the Chinese company.

He said that the Chinese government has done a lot to help develop Fiji's economy and better Fijians' livelihood through various aid projects since the two countries established their diplomatic ties in 1975.

"We will continue to double our efforts to do better aid works, and the bridges like this project can be regarded as bridges of friendship," he said.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zihui, a bridge project director from the company, told Xinhua that like the Vatuwaqa bridge project in east Suva, the Stinson bridge project is also a grant aid by the Chinese government. He, like his colleagues, is very happy to help Fiji build the bridges as this work is believed to help promote the bilateral relations and deepen the friendship between the two countries and peoples.

"Although here in Fiji, the weather is very hot and the work is very hard, but our hearts are warm because we are here to help Fiji promote its infrastructure construction and employ local Fijians as many as we can," he said.

According to the Chinese ambassador, the Chinese government is committed to developing friendly exchanges and cooperation with Fiji at various levels and in various fields and endeavors to provide assistance within its capacity to Fiji's economic and social development.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, under the joint efforts of both sides, the bilateral relationship has seen rapid and steady development with fruitful results achieved out of cooperation in various fields.