Chinese Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe Xu Yingzhen has turned over to the government there public housing built with Chinese money in the town of Mestre António, district of Cantagalo, on the island of São Tomé, STP-Press reports.

The São Toméan state-run news agency says São Toméan Public Works, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Osvaldo d’Abreu accepted the three blocks of housing from the ambassador at a ceremony last Thursday.

The buildings together contain 36 two-bedroom or three-bedroom dwellings, the report says.

Separately, Ms Xu’s embassy issued a written statement quoting her as saying China supports the economic and social development of São Tomé and Príncipe.

The statement quotes São Toméan Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus as speaking highly of the quality of the construction work, and calling for closer Sino-São Toméan cooperation in a greater variety of fields.

China will pay for the construction of 200 homes in São Tomé and Príncipe by 2024, the Chinese Embassy in São Tomé says.