Chinese Charge d ’Affaires says 'Na qai qo ena qai ga'
The smooth flow of traffic after the official opening ceremony of the Stinson Parade Bridge and the Vatuwaqa Bridge was noticeable yesterday. Now road users can expect the congestion in downtown to be a worry of the past for road users - especially with motorists travelling out of the city centre.
The Vatuwaqa Bridge will mean a faster commute home for people working in Suva and living along the Suva-Nausori corridor.
Thanks to a Chinese Government grant of $30 million the Fijian Government is focused on developments that recognise our growth.
The two bridges were constructed by China Railway 14th Construction Bureau Co. Ltd - a well-known, experienced and skilled Chinese enterprise.
They’ve been involved in projects such as the Beijing Capital International Airport, High Speed Railway from Beijing to Shanghai, Subways of Beijing, Nanjing, and Shanghai, as well as many bridges in the countries of Niger, Ecuador and Benin.
Through their technical expertise, the pile foundation of the Stinson Parade Bridge and Vatuwaqa Bridge penetrate nearly 50 metres into the seabed rock.
This is to ensure that the service life of the bridges will exceed more than 100 years.
Construction work began on July 8, 2016 and was completed on December 15, 2017.
More than 600 locals were employed during this time with 40 workers from China.
The Chinese with their expertise are proud of this achievement – of empowering and upskilling locals. They have even labelled the Stinson Parade Bridge and the Vatuwaqa Bridge as "bridges of the future". This is to reflect the co-operation between China and Fiji in adapting to climate change and for building a community of shared future for all people.
From our neighbours in Australia, China’s increasing aid in the region, Fiji included, has been harshly criticised.
International Development Minister Concetta Fierravanti-Wells has called it ‘useless'.
But how ‘useless’ or otherwise this China-Aid grant is, really depends on what the majority of Fijians think. For one, they are relieved and thankful for this development.
Kudos to our Government and China, the Fiji Roads Authority, China Railway 14th Construction Bureau Co. Ltd and all stakeholders involved for a job well done. The Chinese Charge d’Affaires Gu Yu aptly put it yesterday when he quoted a famous iTaukei saying “na qai qo ena qai ga”. When literally translated it means “there’s no turning back, only forward”.