A Chinese construction company on Tuesday started construction of a US$300 million housing project for Angola's Ministry of Defense to mark the 33rd anniversary of the Independence Day.

Built by China Nantong Holding Corporation, the Funda Residential Zone is one of the largest housing projects of the Angolan government after the 27-year civil war ended in the country in 2002.

It is also the largest housing project of the Angolan Ministry of Defense, which covers an area of 30 hectares on which 2,000 apartments and several hundreds of villas will be built in three phases, complete with middle and primary schools, a kindergarten, shops of various types, swimming pools, health centers, sports facilities and street gardens and greeneries.

At the ground breaking ceremony held in Cacuaco on the outskirts of the Angolan capital Luanda, Vice Minister of Defense Van Clunem said the Chinese government and companies have made great contributions to the course of Angola's reconstruction program and built and rebuilt large numbers of infrastructural facilities.

He added that the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Funda Residential Zone held on the 33rd anniversary of Angola's Independence Day once again witnessed the friendship and mutual understanding between the governments and peoples of Angola and China.

More than 300 Angolan and Chinese officials and workers participated in the ground breaking ceremony including Vice Minister of Defense Van Clunem, Chief of Staff of the Angolan Army four-star General Francisco P. Furtado and President of China Nantong Holding Corporation Lu Jianfei.

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2008)