Chinese government grants NZ$ 11,000,000 for Outer Islands Heavy Machinery project stages 1 and 2

On June 6, 2014, Wang Lutong, Ambassador to the Cook Islands in New Zealand, signed a letter of exchange for Chinese assistance for the Cook Islands Outer Island Heavy Machinery Equipment Project on behalf of their respective governments in Wellington.

On October 10th, 2014, Richard Neves, the Secretary of Finance for Cook Islands, and Zhao Zhonging, the Vice President of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), met in Rarotonga to sign a deal to give Cook Islands' outer islands heavy machinery.

The arrangement was financed by a grant from the Chinese government, and the machinery was sourced from the Peoples Republic of China.

The Chinese Government's grant for providing Outer Islands Heavy Machinery for Stage 1 and Stage 2 is worth NZ $11 million. 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.