Chinese projects inject momentum for economic growth in Nauru

YAREN -- In the southwest of the Pacific island country of Nauru, a modern seaport constructed by Chinese companies is taking shape.

The redevelopment project of Aiwo Harbor, Nauru's largest harbor, was contracted by China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. Started in 2019, the project, which includes harbor dredging, as well as the construction of a new port, a desalination system and a container yard, is set to be completed in 2025.

With parts of the project finished, a new history has been made in Nauru that oil tankers now can directly dock to unload oil.

The five-year project has also brought cutting-edge technologies and job opportunities to the island country, promoting local economy by expanding its connectivity with the rest of the world.

A 27-year-old man, who identified himself as Sylvester, is one of the first local employees working for the Aiwo Harbor project. Starting from scratch, Sylvester soon mastered basic techniques such as bundling steel bars. He and Chinese workers also learned from each other their respective languages.

Earning twice as much as when he was working as a housekeeper, Sylvester told Xinhua that he now has greater ability to take care of his three children.

Hearing about Nauru's decision to sever "diplomatic ties" with the Taiwan authorities and seek to restore diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, Sylvester said he was excited and that he looked forward to growing together with the Chinese company and participating in more projects in the future.

Zhu Wei, the contractor's deputy manager and construction manager of the project, has witnessed the development of Aiwo Harbor over the past five years.

Describing risks and challenges as "beyond imagination," Zhu said in addition to lack of resources and inconvenient transportation, many unexploded bombs dropped during World War II were found at the construction site.

As the project gradually turned from blueprint to reality, Zhu is proud of his efforts over the past years.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the projects I have personally participated in contribute more to the economic development of Nauru," Zhu told Xinhua.

Besides the Aiwo project, the Chinese company also partakes the development of a local photovoltaic power generation and energy storage system.

According to the company's production manager Liu Ye, Nauru currently relies mainly on diesel generators for electricity. This ongoing project will improve the electricity supply for local people and significantly reduce the cost of power generation.

"I hope more Chinese technologies and Chinese standards can be introduced to other countries through these tangible projects," Zhu said.