Students at Tonga High School today, 16 May received donation of desktop computers, laptops and stationery from a Chinese delegation led by the Deputy Mayor of Dongguan, Guangdong Province in China.

The gifts which included more than 30 computers, 12 laptops and 1300 school bags, as well as stationery were handed over at the school compound in Nuku'alofa.

Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister Hon Siaosi Sovaleni said the new computers will greatly contribute towards building Tonga’s ICT capacity and expertise.

"We need to have an ICT literate workforce; we need students to be ICT literate and to undertake ICT studies."

He said the computers will help students with their studies and better prepare them to tertiary education or to emcourage them to take up computer studies.

The delegation has gifted $800,000 pa'anga worth of goods, including another donation of agricultural, medical and educational goods to Government, handed over later in the afternoon.

The delegation is visiting from May 14-17 to further promote good cooperation between Dongguan and Tonga. In thanking Deputy Mayor Mr Yang Xiaotang, Sovaleni hoped this is the beginning of a partnership between Dongguan City and Tonga High School, and that through this partnership learn from each other while strengthening Tonga and China's relationship.