Completed Development AidData Chinese Aid

Chinese Government provides RMB 82.4 million grant — via ETCA — for the construction of Saint George's Palace Construction Project

¥82.43M RMB

Funder	China Ministry of Commerce
Recipient Organization	Government of the Kingdom of Tonga
Country	Tonga
Start Date	Apr 19, 2012
End Date	Mar 17, 2027
Duration	5,445 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`37749`

Grant Description

On April 19, 2012, the Chinese Government and the Government of Tonga signed letters of exchange, which committed grant funding for the Saint George's Palace Construction Project.

The grant proceeds were drawn from at least one Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) signed by the two governments.

In total, China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) reportedly committed RMB 82,430,000 of grant funding for this project.

The purpose of this project was to construct St George Palace — a four-story office block in Pangai Si’i within the Nuku’alofa Central Business District — and equip it with furniture and kitchen appliances.

The office block — with a floor area of 5745m² — is responsible for housing the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Finance and Planning, and the Office of Trade and Foreign Affairs. The building has a red turret, similar to the 19th Century colonial architecture of the Royal Palace. Shanghai Construction Group was the contractor responsible for implementation.

Construction was originally set to begin in July 2014 and last for 20 months. However, the project was delayed due to a slow project design process. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on August 25, 2015. However, construction did not commence until November 18, 2015. Most of the workers responsible for construction were Chinese rather than Tongan.

Construction ended on May 17, 2017 and the project was officially completed and handed over to the local authorities on June 22, 2017. Tonga’s Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni and the Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr. Wang Baodong signed the handover certificate. The St. George Government Building was officially opened and put into use on September 1, 2007.

📋 Staff Comments

This project is also known was the Comprehensive Office Building Project and the St. George Government Building Project. The Chinese project title is 政府综合办公楼项目 or 建的政府综合办公楼项目

📚 Sources & References

Chinese company to build new Tonga government offices
King Breaks Ground On Tonga’s New Government Building, “Preparation for the Construction of Government Building
St George Palace
Starts.”, “His Majesty King Tupou VI graced the Groundbreaking Ceremony and unveiled the Foundation Stone of the Tonga Government Building – St. George Palace Project at the Project site – Pangai Si’i on Tuesday, 25 August 2015 at 2.00 p.m.”
King Breaks Ground On Tonga’s New Government Building
黄华光大使视察我援汤加政府办公楼项目
中汤签署我援汤加政府综合办公楼项目换文
H.E. Ambassador Huang Huaguang Attends the Goundbreaking Ceremony of Tonga Government Building
Is Chinese money creating a debt trap in Tonga?
Tongan Government holds opening ceremony for the China aid St. George Government Building
DPM and Chinese Ambassador signed the Handover Certificate of the TOP$28million China-aided St. George Palace
援汤加政府综合办公大楼项目签署交接证书
汤加首相波希瓦、副首相索瓦莱尼考察我援汤加政府综合办公楼项目
王保东大使考察中国援汤加政府综合办公大楼项目
His Majesty King Tupou VI graced the Groundbreaking Ceremony and unveiled the Foundation Stone of the Tonga Government Building - St. George Palace Project
St George Government Building - Official Opening Tour
DPM and Chinese Ambassador signed the Handover Certificate of the TOP$28million China-aided St. George Palace
Promote Cooperation
Enhance Development and Share Prosperity
Government of Tonga Budget Statement 2015/2016
Pacific Aid Database Map
中国全国人大代表团成功访问汤加
Construction begins on Tonga's St George Palac
Smashed cenotaph, sad and possibly illegal
St George Palace handed over to Tonga govt.
China
Tonga sign handover certificate of St. George Palace
Construction begins on Tonga's St George Palace
Tonga's New Government Building Nearing Completion
中国上海：汤加国王出席由上海建工承建的政府综合办公楼项目启用仪式
Government of Tonga Budget Statement for year ending 30th June 2014 Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.