A $300 million Chinese Government funded infrastructure development project on Vanua Levu will result in road upgrades, construction of 22 new bridges, and will connect 61 villages and 15 schools.

The project will also improve access to hospitals and medical facilities as well as to the University of the South Pacific and Fiji National University campuses in Labasa.

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and China’s Ambassador to Fiji Zhou Jian formalised the initiative, a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, this morning.

The China Aid project will focus on the maintenance and upgrade of 82 kilometres of rural roads, including parts of the Natewa-West Coast and the Nabalebale-Naviavia/Dawara Roads in Cakaudrove and part of the Nabouwalu-Makolei Rd in Bua.

Prime Minister Rabuka said “after the opening of the refurbished National Hockey Center and the National Aquatic Center last week, today we continue to see the generosity of our friends from the Peoples’ Republic of China with this formal exchange of notes”.

“I wish to commend China’s ongoing cooperation in advancing issues of mutual priorities at the regional and global arena. The “One China Policy”, has been the firm foundation of Fiji-China diplomatic relations, founded some 49 years ago,” the PM said.

Ambassador Zhou emphasised that “China and Fiji are always good friends and partners.”

“Since both countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in 2018, bilateral and economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges have yielded fruitful results,” he said.

“This project will be the flagship of the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Fiji and we will work together to build it into a high-quality and model project.

“China will continue to promote cooperation with Fiji under the framework of the BRI in areas such as infrastructure construction, renewable energy, agriculture and fisheries.”

As part of the project, a feasibility study will first be carried out where a technical team from China will be despatched to Fiji to carry out the proposed work, in collaboration with the Fiji Roads Authority and Transport Department of the Ministry of Works.