Chinese Government grants RMB 68 million for Confucius Institute Building Construction Project (Linked to ETCA #85230)

Project narrative

In September 2010, China established a Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia in Lusaka in cooperation with Hebei University of Economics and Business. On March 26, 2012, the the Chinese Government and the Government of Zambia signed an exchange of notes for the Confucius Institute Building Construction Project. Then, during a presidential visit on 6 April 2013, government officials signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement (ETCA #85230) granting 100 million RMB to the Government of Zambia in which RMB 68 million (US $10 million) was allocated for this project. Jiangsu Nantong Third Construction Group was the contractor responsible for project implementation. On June 20, 2014, a groundbreaking ceremony was organized for the project. Since its establishment in 2010, the Confucius Institute at the University of Zambia has reportedly taught the Chinese language to 50,000 local students. The project was expected to be completed by December 2015. In 2016, Hanban designated it as a model Confucius Institute.