The recently completed Jur River Bridge, also known as the Clement Mboro Bridge, was handed over to the South Sudanese government by the Chinese embassy on Monday.
The new bridge, located in the country's Western Bahr el-Ghazal state, has a designed length of 240 meters and a width of 14 meters, and spans a total of 1,480 meters.
This is the only bridge that connects the eastern and western parts of South Sudan. The bridge across the Jur river was built by China. The Chinese embassy in South Sudan has promised to do more to help develop South Sudan's infrastructure.
Chinese Ambassador to South Sudan Ma Qiang said at the handover ceremony in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, that the transportation industry, when properly developed, plays a fundamental and strategic role in driving economic and social development.
He said Wau, the capital of Western Bahr El Ghazal where the bridge is constructed, has the advantageous geographical location, abundant resources and unique development conditions, but its economic potential is being restrained due to the limited infrastructure.
"After the completion of the bridge, it will save time for crossing the Jur River, connect people on both sides, increase employment opportunities, and inject new vitality into the local economic and social development," Ma said.
Sarah Cleto Hassan, governor of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, said constructing roads and bridges will spur sustainable peace and contribute to the economic development of the country.
"We are witnessing a new milestone in South Sudan-China friendship and shows the close and deep relations between us. Today symbolizes development and improves prosperity. I see there will be many more things we can do together," said Hassan.
South Sudan's Minister of Roads and Bridges Simon Mijok Mijak said that the modern bridge built by China's Tianyuan Company Limited will "stand as the symbol of our true, unshakable friendship between China and South Sudan," and appealed for next level of bridges building.
"I am here appealing that we move to the next level of building bridges as you have said rightly that this bridge is part of Silk Road connecting East Africa through South Sudan to West Africa," said Simon.
China-bulit Jur River Bridge handed over to South Sudan
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) has become more indispensable than ever in today's fast-evolving global landscape, according to Tan Kong Yam, an Emeritus Professor of Economics with the School of Social Sciences, Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.
The Boao Forum for Asia 2025 Annual Conference opened on Tuesday in the town of Boao in south China's Hainan Province.
With the theme "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future", the four-day forum has attracted nearly 2,000 attendees from more than 60 countries and regions to participate in more than 50 events and many bilateral events, according to the press conference.
"We are currently living through an era of profound global changes, marked by rising geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation, the climate crisis and disruptive technological shift all occurring simultaneously. In such a complex environment, dialog platforms like the Boao Forum for Asia has not diminished in importance, rather they have become even more indispensable than ever before," said Tan.
The BFA provides a distinctive Asian perspective for improving global governance, as well as more opportunities for developing countries and Global South countries to voice their opinions, said Tan.
"Boao has a unique positioning as a high-level dialog platform. Centered on Asia, Boao distinguishes itself from other international forums typically dominated by the West. It provides a valuable opportunity for developing countries, especially those in Asia and the Global South, to make their voices heard. Boao Forum is critical for promoting regional cooperation, especially in key areas such as infrastructure, trade, green development and the digital economy. The forum is a platform for soft power. In an increasingly multi-polar world, Boao helps build trust through dialogs," he said.
Tan also highlighted that Chinese economy shows remarkable resilience, marked by advancements across various sectors, including artificial intelligence.
"The overall outlook for China's economy continues to show strong resilience. Key sectors such as the advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and clean energy are receiving robust policy support. The roll-out of the digital renminbi and the development of smart logistics also indicate that China is actively positioning itself for future economic trends. In recent years, China's progress in the field of artificial intelligence has been remarkable. A particular note is the breakthrough achieved by DeepSeek, which stands as a concentrated expression of China's innovation capacity in AI. It is a result of the synergy between China's national technology strategy, vast market scale, institutional advantages and global outreach. It not only signals China's growing global competitiveness in AI, but also position China as a potential driver of the next global productivity revolution," he said.
The BFA was founded in 2001 and offers a platform for dialogue between leaders from government, business, academia and other organizations to discuss economic, social and environmental issues, promote economic cooperation and support the sustainable development of Asia's economy.
Boao Forum more indispensable in current rapidly-changing world: economist
