JUBA, June 16 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese officials and engineers on Wednesday began a 14-day training seminar backed by the Chinese government to enhance their skills in road and bridge construction.
The online training is organized by experts from the Beijing Jiaotong University.
Simon Mijok Mijak, South Sudan's Minister of Roads and Bridges, said in his opening remarks that the training provides an opportunity for South Sudanese technicians to share experiences and learn from their Chinese counterparts.
"We are happy to take the example of the People's Republic of China in mobilizing the human capital and this is the secret of transformation which China did," Mijok said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, adding that the training also marked a great achievement in bilateral relations.
Henry Jenaro Amok, Project Manager in the Ministry of Roads and Bridges, said that the training being attended by 25 officials from the ministry will help them acquire crucial knowledge on the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in the country.
"This seminar will provide us not only with essential knowledge but also provide a great opportunity to share experience on both technical and regulatory issues," Jenaro said.
Ma Wenjun, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in South Sudan, said the Chinese government through its ministry of commerce has organized a series of bilateral seminars and workshops in the past decade together with the government of South Sudan.
He said that China will continue to play a constructive role and support South Sudan's peace and development with concrete actions in order to jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.
During the seminar, experts and scholars in the field of road and bridge construction will give lectures to participants, and participants will be arranged to have discussions and exchanges with professors.
The main lectures include the history of bridge development in China, transportation landscape and environmental design, building materials for road and bridge, road engineering surveying, sub-grade engineering, pavement engineering, bridge engineering construction technology, and smart highway.
China has already assisted and undertaken several road and bridge construction projects in South Sudan, including the Juba-Rumbek highway reconstruction project and the Jur River bridge project in Wau. ■
