On the morning of December 7, local time, the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion project of the Emalus Campus French Program of the University of the South Pacific (USP) in Vanuatu, aided by China, was grandly held in Port Vila. Frank Kabui, Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Chancellor of the USP, Rajesh Chandra, Vice-Chancellor of the USP, Marcelino Pipite, Minister of Education of Vanuatu, Cheng Shuping, Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu, and representatives from the project contractor, Dalian Zhucheng Construction Company, attended the ceremony.
Ambassador Cheng briefly introduced the project and wished for an early start to construction. He stated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Vanuatu, the Chinese government has implemented a series of economic and technical assistance projects in Vanuatu, covering fields such as infrastructure, education, agriculture, health, human resources, and information technology. These aid projects align with Vanuatu's priority development plans and have played an important role in promoting the country's economic and social development. He pointed out that China is still a developing country, and the aid cooperation between China and Vanuatu falls under the category of "South-South Cooperation," without any attached conditions. The Chinese government will continue to provide assistance to Vanuatu within its capabilities to help the country promote development and improve people's livelihoods.
The Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Chancellor of the USP, the Vice-Chancellor, and the Minister of Education of Vanuatu expressed their gratitude for China's long-term selfless assistance to various fields in Vanuatu. They particularly emphasized China's support for Vanuatu's education sector, especially the USP, noting that China had previously aided in the construction of the School of Law at the USP Emalus Campus at the end of the last century, and is now aiding the expansion project of the French Program, which reflects the importance the Chinese government attaches to education in the South Pacific. They firmly believe that the completion of this project will greatly alleviate the shortage of educational resources in Vanuatu and make a significant contribution to higher education at the USP Emalus Campus and the entire South Pacific region.
The representative of Dalian Zhucheng Construction Company stated that they would cooperate with the government of Vanuatu and the USP to dedicate themselves to providing a high-quality aid project for Vanuatu.
After the speeches, the Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Chancellor of the USP, the Chinese Ambassador to Vanuatu, the Minister of Education of Vanuatu, and the representative of Dalian Zhucheng Construction Company jointly participated in the ribbon-cutting, groundbreaking, and tree-planting ceremonies.
All staff from the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Embassy in Vanuatu accompanied Ambassador Cheng to the groundbreaking ceremony.