JUBA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese oil firm China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on Tuesday handed over a fully renovated secondary school to the Central Equatoria State government in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Located in the Hai Seminary suburb of Juba, Chinese Friendship Secondary School was built in 2011 with support from the Chinese government after South Sudan gained independence.

Cirisio Zakaria Lado, minister of general education and instruction in Central Equatoria State, commended the Chinese government and CNPC for supporting the education sector, which is critical to nation-building.

He also said China has provided various assistance to South Sudan, especially in the fields of health, infrastructure, and agriculture.

Nelson Wani, headteacher of Chinese Friendship Secondary School, said the institution is a foundation for the long-standing relationship between the two peoples of the two countries.

According to Wani, since its inception in 2011, the school, which currently accommodates 600 students, has graduated several students who have gone on to complete their studies at universities in the country.

"Over the past three months, we have renovated classrooms, upgraded the school fences, and repainted corridors and exterior walls. Additionally, we have provided tailor-made desks and chairs for over 200 students, along with stationery, shirts, and sporting goods for teachers and students," said Lu Jiangbo, president of CNPC (Nile).

Lu noted that their mission is to improve the school's physical infrastructure and create a better learning environment that empowers students to change their futures through education.

Ma Qiang, Chinese ambassador to South Sudan, said the Chinese government regards education cooperation as an important sector of the friendly cooperation between the two countries.

Ma noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Sudan, the Chinese government has assisted in building several primary and secondary schools with grants and provided Chinese government scholarships to local students.

"We also successfully implemented the first and second phases of the China-aided Technical Cooperation Project of Education in South Sudan, with millions of carefully compiled primary and secondary school textbooks delivered to Juba, over 920 teachers trained in China, and nearly 150,000 students benefiting," Ma said. Enditem

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