China to train South Sudan officials on capacity building in 2024

Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Ma Qiang said Thursday that China will host six capacity-building training courses for South Sudanese officials in 2024 on human resource development.

"This year, the Chinese government will continue to deepen cooperation in human resources development with South Sudan. We will hold six training courses in China for South Sudan, covering agriculture, education, commerce, transportation, and petroleum among other fields," Ma said during a ceremony held at the Chinese Embassy in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, to welcome the Chinese New Year and reunion of South Sudanese participants who attended the 2023 Chinese government training programs.

Ma said that China has always upheld the principles of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, and of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, adding that China has implemented and completed many key projects, such as China-aided broadcasting facilities, Jur River Bridge in Wau, and Air Traffic Management System, achieving fruitful outcomes in bilateral pragmatic cooperation.

In 2023, more than 300 South Sudanese government officials as well as professional and technical personnel participated in short-term training programs in China, covering fields such as economy, trade, agriculture, education, medical care, and technology.

Mary Nawai Martin, the South Sudan minister of parliamentary affairs and also one of the beneficiaries of the capacity-building training courses in China, said that the South Sudan government is grateful for the technical skills transfer provided by the Chinese government.

"We have learned a lot and those who have been to China, we are urging you to bring that knowledge and implement it here. Let us not leave the knowledge there in that beautiful country. Let us try our best to make sure that the knowledge or the skills that we have gained from China is implemented in our beautiful country," she said.

She also noted that South Sudan is eager to receive more Chinese investors to help develop the country as it transitions from years of conflict toward peace and stability.

(Cover: Experts from the health systems of China and South Sudan hold online discussions over the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, March 18, 2020. /CFP)