Chinese Government provides a RMB 50 million grant — via a February 2013 ETCA — for the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music Construction Project (Linked to Record ID#40971, #65714, #65786, and #65797)

Project narrative

On February 26, 2013, the Chinese Government and the Lebanese Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) signed an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA), in which the Chinese Government committed RMB 50 million in grant funding to Lebanon for unspecified purposes. The ETCA stipulated that the grant would be allocated at a later date following an agreement between the two governments and that it would be disbursed through a bank account established between China Development Bank (CDB) and the Banque du Liban (Lebanon’s central bank). The Council of Ministers of Lebanon approved the receipt of this grant on March 21, 2013 via Decree No. 10352. Then, on December 14, 2017, the Council of Ministers of Lebanon allocated the RMB 50 million committed in this ETCA to the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music Construction Project. It also allocated the proceeds of a RMB 50 million grant committed in an ETCA signed on December 5, 2013 (captured by linked Record ID#65714) and a RMB 20 million grant committed in an ETCA signed on September 10, 2015 (captured by linked Record ID#40971) to the project, for a total contribution of RMB 120 million (pg.136 of "CDR Progress Report 2017"). Previously, on May 10, 2017, the Chinese Government and the Government of Lebanon signed an ETCA, in which the Chinese Government committed a RMB 100 million grant (captured by linked Record ID#65786) for the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music Construction Project. After the allocation of the RMB 120 million from the three ETCAs, on January 9, 2018, the Chinese Government and the Government of Lebanon signed an exchange of letters regarding the project in the presence of Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri. Then, on April 11, 2019, the Chinese Government and the Government of Lebanon signed an ETCA, in which the Chinese Government committed a RMB 300 million ($44 million USD) grant to Lebanon for the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music Construction Project and other projects that would be mutually agreed upon by the two governments. Then, on December 16, 2019, the Chinese Government and the Government of Lebanon signed an agreement allocating RMB 213 million of the RMB 300 million grant proceeds to the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music Construction Project. The remaining RMB 87 million of the grant proceeds continued to be unallocated. The RMB 213 million allocated towards the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music Construction Project is captured by linked Record ID#65797. The purpose of the project was to construct a building for the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music (Le Conservatoire libanais national supérieur de musique) in the town of Dbaye (الضبية). The conservatory was designed to cover a land area of 14,386 square meters and have a total floor area of 26,588 square meters. The building was to include a 1,200-seat concert hall, a teaching building (including a 350-seat concert hall), a generator room, other equipment rooms, an underground garage, a reception hall, a security room, and fences. The conservatory, once completed, was expected to will attract musicians from neighboring areas, improve the quality and capacity of musical education in Lebanon, and provide a first-class professional venue for the public to enjoy musical performances. The construction of the conservatory was the first complete project aided by the Chinese Government to the Lebanese Government. China IPPR International Engineering Co., Ltd. (中国中元国际工程有限公司) was the contractor responsible for project design and management, while China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) was the general contractor responsible for implementation. Lebanon's Ministry of Culture was also involved in implementation. The Chinese Government provided the design plans for the conservatory to Lebanon's Ministry of Culture on September 19, 2018. The Chinese Government and the Lebanese Government signed the project implementation agreement on October 30, 2018. Then, in April 1, 2019, the project design team from China IPPR International Engineering Co., Ltd. briefed Prime Minister Hariri on the progress and preliminary design of the project. The project's formal groundbreaking ceremony was held on December 20, 2019. At the time, the conservatory was expected to be completed within 3 years. However, the implementation of this project was delayed because of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. A second formal groundbreaking ceremony was held on December 18, 2020.