Chinese Government provides RMB 25.3 million grant for State Library and Archives Building Construction Project (Linked to ETCA #936)

On July 17, 2002 and August 16, 2002, the Chinese Government and the Government of Lesotho signed an exchange of letters regarding the State Library and Archives Building Construction Project. China’s Ministry of Commerce reportedly committed RMB 25,300,000 of funding for this project. These funds were drawn in part from an Economic and Technical Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) that the two governments signed in 2003 (see ETCA in #936). This project involved the construction of a 5,275 square meter State Library and Archives Building in the capital city of Maseru. Qingdao Architectural Design and Research Institute was the contractor responsible for project design and Qingdao Construction Group was the contractor responsible for project implementation. A formal groundbreaking ceremony took place on July 2, 2004. However, the project did not commence until July 19, 2004. It was completed in August 2005 and then officially handed over to the Government of Lesotho on November 22, 2005. An opening ceremony took place on April 28, 2006.

Additional details

This project is also known as the Lesotho State Library and Archives Building Project. The Chinese project title is 图书馆兼档案馆 or 承建的中国援莱索托国家图书馆和档案馆 or 的中国援莱索托国家图书馆和档案馆 or 莱索托国家图书馆兼档案馆. One source identifies this project as funding by a loan rather than a grant. However, most sources claim that this project was grant-funded. This issue merit further investigation. Location details: The State Library and Archives Building is located in the capital city of Maseru. More detailed locational information can be found at https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1312145608

Number of official sources

11

Number of total sources

21