Yesterday, November 18, H. E. Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia, took along with her senior government officials, including Hon. B. Elias Shoniyin, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the turning-over ceremony of the newly constructed and refurbished Monrovia Vocation Training Center (MVTC) in Monrovia.

The People's Republic of China's Government and People spent US$9 Million to carryout the construction and renovation. The new campus, which now sits on a 6000 square meters parcel of land, is quipped with sufficient and modern facilities, especially designed to meet the needs of training young Liberians. The Chinese Ambassador, H.E. Zhang Yue, stated that the new campus' library can host at least 300 persons at once; the campus can take in 1000 students and at least 200 support staff, including teachers.

He said the completion of the project is another evidence of the solid Sino-Liberia relationship. "This wouldn't have been possible without the strong. solid relationship between our two governments and peoples." The campus has both girl's and boys' dorms and a teachers' quarter. Ambassador Zhang said in China, they believe that once you teach a man to fish, you feed him for life than just giving him fish, which is feeding him for a day. Speaking earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe said the completion of the project marks an important milestone in the furtherance of the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET). The President, Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf, in her brief remarks, told the Chinese envoy:

"We have no doubt that China is a major partner in our development drive." She used the occasion to also thank the Chinese for other projects that they have started, completed and turned over to the Liberian people.