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Author: Raj Keresoma
Apia, Samoa – August 20, 2024 – Samoa’s Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Matafa, yesterday officially opened the first academy to train Samoan police officers to serve the people of Samoa.
The police academy, which cost 33 million tala to build, is located on the site of the old Tafaigata prison and was funded by the Chinese government.
The project initiative was first proposed in 2015, followed by a feasibility study and approval in November 2017.
The implementation agreement was signed by the governments of Samoa and China in September 2018, and construction started in April 2020.
The project was put on hold for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On October 20, 2022, Shaanxi Construction Co., Ltd. finally started construction and was completed in June 2024.
Prime Minister Fiame expressed his gratitude to the Government of the Republic of China for its continued support for Samoa’s development.
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa holds the key to the academy with Minister of Police, Prisons and Correctional Services Faualo Harry Schuster, Chinese Ambassador Fei Mingxing, Speaker of Parliament Papali’i Li’o Ta’eu Masipa’u, Leader of the Opposition Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Deputy Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Joseph Bonifasio and Minister of Justice and Courts Administration Matamua Vasati Pulufana.
Samoa and China have a long-standing friendship
Chinese Ambassador to Samoa Fei Mingxing said the Samoa Police Academy project has set a new milestone in the long-standing friendship between China and Samoa.
He Fei said: “The people-to-people relations between China and Samoa have a history of about 150 years. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1975, the two sides have jointly implemented more than 20 infrastructure projects in Samoa.”
He pointed out that China has provided a lot of help to Samoa through training in areas such as agriculture and medicine, and they intend to elevate the relationship between the two countries to a new level when celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Samoa.day 2025 is the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Samoa and China.
He said: “This project is an important milestone in China-Saudi Arabia bilateral cooperation.”
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa poses with Police Minister Faualo Harry Schuster and the Samoa Police Service.
State-of-the-art academy
The academy is equipped with advanced equipment, including lecture halls, restaurants, equipment rooms, operational training grounds, covered sports fields, accommodation buildings and stadiums, as well as auxiliary facilities such as runways and defensive driving training grounds.
Prime Minister Fiame and He Fei agreed that the establishment of the police academy is of great significance to the construction of the Samoan police force and to better serve the Samoan people.
“I hope to see more young students succeed with the opportunities provided by the college,” said He Fei.
Some Chinese police officers attended the handover ceremony.
Forensic Laboratory
He Fei said the next phase of the Samoa Police Academy project is to deliver and install the fingerprint laboratory as soon as possible.
“The laboratory equipment and the academy will play a huge role in building a stronger Samoa Police Force,” he said.
He encouraged the academy to make full use of its close cooperation with its Chinese counterparts, especially the China-Pacific Islands Police Training Center in Fujian Province, China.
He said China, Samoa and other countries are facing unprecedented multiple risks and challenges, so Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative.
“As a global community, humanity cannot be divided and no matter what happens nationally or internationally, every country must prioritize its fundamental needs for development, security and social diversity,” he said.
The athletics field is part of the Police Training Academy.
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