China’s Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli has hailed the significance of the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace, which, once completed, will be a symbol of the two countries’ friendship and serve as a venue for their people to meet and hold exchange activities.

Visiting the construction site in Hanoi on July 17, Zhang stressed the need for China’s Yunnan Group, the project’s main contractor, to ensure construction quality.

President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Vu Xuan Hong affirmed that the friendship palace – a special gift of the Chinese Government and people – will contribute to enhancing the friendship and solidarity between the two nations’ people.

Hong updated the Vice Premier on the construction progress, saying that in June 2011, the union approved a master project on the Vietnam-China Friendship Palace with a total investment of 799 billion VND (approximately 36.7 million USD), 631 billion VND (29 million USD) of which is sourced from China’s non-refundable aid.

Construction on the palace began on March 4, 2015, he said, adding that with support from the two governments, ministries, sectors and localities, their architects, engineers and labourers have exerted efforts to put the palace into use by 2017.-VNA