The Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr. Hu Yeshun, this afternoon presented Tonga's Minister for Education, Dr Tevita Palefau with $1.2 million worth of new furniture for the new Tonga High School campus.

The construction of the new Tonga High School campus was financed by the People's Republic of China, costing $8.25 million Pa'anga. The old school was gutted by fire on October 1, 2000, and the reconstruction which was carried out by a Chinese construction company, with a majority of the construction workers, Chinese started in October 2003.

King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV officially opened the new campus of July 2, 2005, but students could not use the new campus because it was unfurnished, and they remained in temporary location at old Vaiola.

The new furniture included 1,710 sets of tables and chairs for students, 34 sets of office furniture, 142 sets of bookshelves and 75 sets of teacher...’s tables and experimental tables, to furnish 34 standard classrooms, 18 special classrooms for science, a laboratory, industrial arts and the administration office.

Mr. Hu Yeshun said during the handing over ceremony that this gift from the People's Republic of China to Tonga was proof of the friendly relations between the two countries.

The Handing Over Ceremony concluded with the Minister of Education Hon. Dr Viliami Palefau and the Chinese Ambassador to Tonga HE Mr. Hu Yeshun, and the new principal of Tonga High School, Mrs Siosi'ana Musika Tapueluelu, inspecting some of the newly furnished classrooms and administration offices.