Chinese Government provides $1.5 million grant for Port of La Libertad Pier Expansion and Restoration Project (Linked to Project ID#71118)

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 $1.5 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. The Chinese Ambassador 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 expected completion date is December 31, 2021. On August 26th, 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 aid projects completed by China.

Additional details

1. This project is also known as the Liberty Wharf Expansion and Restoration Project. The Spanish project title is El Muelle de La Libertad and Restauración y ampliación del muelle del Puerto de La Libertad. The Chinese project title is 拉利伯塔德码头改扩建和休闲旅游区建设项目 or 里伯塔德码头建设项目. 2. For other projects agreed to under the December 3, 2019 ETCA, see umbrella Project ID#71118. 3. The estimate monetary value of the Chinese Government grant commitment for this project is based on a press release from the Office of the Presidency in El Salvador (see https://www.presidencia.gob.sv/gobierno-de-la-republica-avanza-en-la-restauracion-del-muelle-del-puerto-de-la-libertad/).

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