China to fund Salt-Arda road project — MP

AMMAN — Chinese Ambassador to Jordan Pan Weifang recently told Jordanian officials his country would fund a new Salt-Arda road project, according to a statement from MP Mutaz Abu Rumman’s office on Monday.

The Chinese ambassador made the announcement during an Iftar reception shared by Jordanian and Chinese officials, and hosted by the Jordanian-Chinese Parliamentary Friendship Committee, the statement added.

The new road will be called Hayat Street (Street of Life), and will replace the current road, known locally as Mawt Street (Death Street), due to the high number of accidents that take place there.

The project was one of the committee’s top priorities, according to the statement.

In the statement, Abu Rumman, who is the head of the friendship committee, expressed his appreciation for China’s support to Jordan through various loans, grants and investment projects to support the Kingdom’s economy.

The most noteworthy of these projects was the $2 billion oil shale project, the statement said.

For his part, Pan said that China gives special focus to Jordan and would help fund the road, which will ultimately cost JD22 million and is considered “vital” to Balqa Governorate.

The corner stone for the project was laid a few months ago when the Chinese ambassador visited Salt, according to the statement.