Completed Development AidData Chinese Aid

Huizhou Municipal Government grant in 2017 for the Samoa-China Friendship Park Project (Linked to Record ID#65359)

$12.73M USD

Funder	Huizhou Municipal Government
Recipient Organization	Samoa
Country	Samoa
Start Date	Jan 01, 2017
End Date	Dec 15, 2027
Duration	4,000 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`64048`

Grant Description

The Huizhou Municipal Government provided a grant in 2017 for the Samoa-China Friendship Park Project. The estimated value of the grant is $12,725,706.30.

In 2015, the Prime Minister of Samoa (Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi) and the Mayor of Huizhou (Mai Jaiomeng) signed an MOU on Friendly Cooperation between the cities of Huizhou and Apia. As part of this agreement, Huizhou Municipal Government pledged to construct a Friendship Park.

The Huizhou Bureau of Housing, Urban and Rural Planning and Construction visited Apia in November 2017 to meet with the Government of Samoa.

The intention of the visit was for the two Governments to mutually agree on specific procedures and the final design plans.

Details of the Draft Design for the Friendship Park was finalized following in-depth technical consultations and review with the respective local sectors.

When the Draft Design plans were accepted, the two Governments proceeded with formalizing the respective agreements before implementation began. The Friendship Park fit into the broader Apia Waterfront plan, launched in 2016. The project implementer was the Bureau of Housing, Urban and Rural Planning, and Construction of Huizhou Municipality.

The project commenced in December 2018.

On May 11, 2018, Chinese Ambassador Wang Xuefeng attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the China-Samoa Friendship Park and Samoan Art and Cultural Center (as captured via Record ID#65359).

On July 20, 2018, Wang Xuefeng and Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa signed the cooperation framework agreements for both the Friendship Park and Cultural Center.

On July 4, 2019, the handover ceremony for the Apia Waterfront Events Space, Clock Tower Boulevard, and Volleyball Courts Project occurred.

As noted by Chinese Ambassador Chao Xiaoliang, the Events Space and Clock Tower Boulevard were funded by the New Zealand government while the volleyball courts were funded by the Chinese Government.

In the same speech, Chao Xiaoliang also mentioned that the construction of the entire Friendship Park would be finished in 2020. The project was expected to be complete in June 2020.

However, a measles outbreak in the fall of 2019 and the Covid-19 global pandemic in 2020 temporarily halted project implementation activities, as workers could not travel.

Then, in February 2020, it was announced that the opening of the Friendship Park would be delayed from March 2020 to May 2020 due to poor weather. Construction resumed in May 2021 and was expected to be complete by October 2021. A final project handover certificate was issued on May 28, 2022.

📋 Staff Comments

This project is also known as the Apia Waterfront Events Space, Clock Tower Boulevard, and Volleyball Courts Project.
According to Government of Samoa's Approved (Budget) Estimates for 2018-19, the foreign aid estimated utilization for the construction of the Friendship Park amounted to 5,460,411 USD during the 2018-19 financial year (see: p.18 of pdf). Counterpart costs (expenditures by the Samoan Government) to the Friendship Park in 2018-19 was an estimated 350,000 USD (See: 2018-19 First Supplementary Estimates, p. 22 of pdf). According to Samoa's Approved Estimates for 2019-20, the foreign aid estimated utilization for the construction of the Friendship Park amounted to 7,265,295.30 USD during the 2019-20 financial year (See: p. 21 of pdf). Counterpart costs to the Friendship Park in 2019-20 was an estimated 100,000 USD (See: 2019-20 First Supplementary Estimates, p. 13 of pdf).
The Chinese project title is 建文化艺术中心和中萨友谊公园项目.

📚 Sources & References

Ambassador Chao Xiaoliang's Remarks at the Handover Ceremony of the Beach Volleyball Courts for the 2019 Pacific Games
Ground-breaking ceremony for China-Samoa Friendship Park and Arts and Culture Centre
驻萨摩亚大使王雪峰出席惠州援建中萨友谊公园和文化艺术中心奠基仪式
驻萨摩亚大使王雪峰同萨总理图伊拉埃帕签署关于援助建设萨摩亚阿皮亚友好公园项目和文化艺术中心项目合作框架协议
Samoa signs MOU with China’s Huizhou City
Approved Estimates of Receipts and Payments of the Government of Samoa for the Financial Year Ending 30th June 2019, 2019-20 First Supplementary Estimates of Receipts and Payments of the Government of Samoa for the Year Ending 30 June 2020, 2018-19 First Supplementary Estimates of Receipts and Payments of the Government of Samoa for the Year Ending 30 June 2019
Samoa Friendship Park to Open in May
Approved Estimates of Receipts and Payments of the Government of Samoa for the Financial Year Ending 30th June 2020
Samoa's Friendship Park to be competed in October
Samoa's China funded projects ongoing
巢小良大使就中萨建交46周年接受《萨摩亚观察家报》专访
PRESS RELEASE: Samoa Visit of the State Councilor and Foreign Minister of the Peoples’ Republic of China H.E Mr. Wang Yi, 27-28th May 2022;
Annual Report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for the period of 1st July 2017 to 30th June 2018
Speech by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi at the signing of the Framework Agreement with the People’s Republic of China for the Arts & Culture Centre and the Friendship Park. July 20th 2018 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.