The China-aided Bandim Fishing Port in Guinea-Bissau stands as a pivotal outcome of China-Guinea-Bissau bilateral cooperation and represents the largest project aided by China to Guinea-Bissau since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. Constructed by the Port and Waterway Company of CREC Guangzhou Engineering Bureau, the project also saw the active participation of Guangzhou Deli Docks Engineering Co., Ltd., which made significant contributions to enhancing the port’s functionality and ensuring the smooth progress of the construction.
Located in the southeastern part of Guinea-Bissau, the project with a total investment of 157 million yuan started construction on October 23, 2018, and was officially handed over on May 19, 2023. Its construction scope is comprehensive and practical, including the renovation of 414 meters of the original approach embankment and revetment, the addition of 308 meters of north-south breakwaters, the construction of one pontoon floating wharf, the dredging of 201,100 cubic meters of the port basin, and the supporting construction of 8,300 square meters of roads and hardened floors. After completion, the port can accommodate over 280 fishing vessels, fundamentally improving the local conditions for fishing boat berthing, loading, and unloading, and providing efficient and convenient infrastructure support for fishing operations.
At the handover ceremony, Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló expressed his gratitude in Chinese, fully affirming the project’s great value. This port not only boosts the development and utilization of local fishery resources and drives the growth of related industries but also serves as a solid bond for deepening the friendly cooperation between China and Guinea-Bissau. It writes a vivid chapter of mutual benefit and win-win results under the Belt and Road Initiative and witnesses the practical practice of Chinese and foreign enterprises joining hands in international aid and construction to promote common development.
