The Chinese Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe, Xu Yingzhen, announced on last Thursday, during a meeting with the local journalists, that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the construction works to upgrade and lengthen the runway of the São Tomé International Airport, will start next year.

The agreement to upgrade and extend the runway of the São Tomé International Airport was signed between the two countries in 2020, the Chinese side began to send a technical team to help with the hydrographic and maritime survey last year, and in recent months, technical experts from both sides have held many online meetings to exchange ideas.

The Ambassador noted that China places a lot of importance on the project, but it is technically challenging and time-consuming due to the necessity to create a maritime landfill or excavate a portion of the mountain.