People's Government of Guangdong Province provides grant for National Convention Center Construction Project

In March 2017, President Christian’s visit to China resulted in a commitment — at least in principle — by Guangdong Province to provide a grant to the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia for the construction of a convention center that would be built in the city of Palikir.

Then, on November 7, 2018, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the provision of a grant for the National Convention Center Construction Project was endorsed by the parties.

However, the monetary value of the grant commitment from the People's Government of Guangdong Province (GDPTO) is unknown.

The purpose of the project is to construct an 18,000 square meter national convention center — with conference rooms, exhibition areas (including a large exhibition hall for displaying the country’s constitution and cultural relics), office areas, and parking lots — in the city of Palikir across from the Office of the President in the Palikir Capitol Complex.

The convention center will have the capacity to accommodate 500 individuals in its primary conference hall, with two additional conference rooms capable of serving 150 and 20 individuals, respectively.

The convention center was designed with a courtyard-style architecture with a sloping roof that is well suited to the local climate, blending Chinese and Micronesian cultural elements.

Upon completion, the convention center is expected to be used as the venue for local, regional, and international conferences and forums.

Guangdong International Engineering Consultant Corporation, Ltd., the Architectural Design and Research Institute of Guangdong Province and China Construction Steel Structure Corporation, Ltd (CCSSC) are the contractors responsible for project design and implementation.

On October 18, 2019, a groundbreaking ceremony took place and the project was originally expected to reach completion by end of 2020.

According to the original project implementation schedule, the foundation of the building was to be constructed from December 2019 to February 2020; the main structure of the building was to be constructed from February to March 2020; the roof and walls were to be constructed from March to June 2020; the machinery, electricity, and decorations were to be installed from June to September 2020; and the landscaping was to be completed from September to December 2020.

The project was ultimately completed and handed over to the local authorities on May 16, 2025.