Chinese Government provides $23 million grant for Port of La Libertad Pier Expansion and Restoration Project (Linked to Record ID#71118)

Project narrative

On August 20, 2018, the Government of El Salvador announced that it was severing diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (‘Taiwan’) and establishing diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China (‘China’). Then, on December 3, 2019, during an official visit of President Xi Jinping to El Salvador, the Chinese Government and the Government of El Salvador signed and Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ECTA), which committed $500 million for multiple projects (including the National Library Construction Project, the Surfcity Potable Water, Roads, and Parks Project, the Lake Ilopango Water Treatment Plant Project, the Port of La Libertad Pier Expansion and Restoration Project, the Joya de Cerén Archaeological Site Restoration Project, and the National Stadium Construction Project). The purpose of the Port of La Libertad Pier Expansion and Restoration Project is to restore and expand the pier at the port of La Libertad, which is one of the country's biggest attractions. The project aims to turn the pier into an international tourist attraction, with restaurants, cafes, stores and mechanical games. The estimated monetary value of the Chinese Government grant commitment for this project is $23 million. A delegation of Chinese technical experts arrived in October 2020 to study and discuss the project. Then, on February 27, 2021, the Chinese Ambassador to El Salvador announced on Twitter that the construction phase of the project had commenced, and shared a video rendering of what the new pier will look like upon completion. However, construction itself did not begin until June 15, 2021. China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC) was the contractor responsible for project implementation. The Chinese Ambassador to El Salvador conducted an on-site project inspection in May 2021. A project implementation agreement was signed by the two governments in August 2021. The project’s originally expected completion date was December 31, 2021. However, it encountered implementation delays related to the Covid-19 pandemic and geological problems. On August 26, 2022, during a ceremony for the opening of the Sunset Amusement Park aided by China, Chinese Ambassador to El Salvador said that the La Libertad Pier Expansion and Restoration project was one of the first foreign aid projects to be undertaken by China in El Salvador. Then, on March 16, 2023, the Government of El Salvador celebrated the installation of the last piling of the structure that supports the pier, which is 30 meters long and 15 meters wide. The project was ultimately completed in September 2023. On November 20, 2024, the pier was put into operation, and the opening ceremony was held.