JUBA, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) said that it will provide technical skills training to South Sudan's citizens to manage the country's air traffic management (ATM) system.

The Chinese firm has currently been contracted by the South Sudanese government to construct the ATM with 70 percent of the project completed.

The center station of the ATM system is located around the Juba International Airport. Two other main stations are also being constructed in Wau of Western Bahr el Ghazal and Malakal in Upper Nile, and substations in Raja County in Western Bahr el Ghazal, Kapoeta County in Eastern Equatoria and Bor in Jonglei states.

Duan Fanping, Business Manager for CHEC South Sudan told Xinhua that the firm will train South Sudan citizens to be part of the management of the facility upon completion, adding that the examination has been held in late July by the South Sudanese government. The training program will soon start after that.

Duan said the training will focus on air traffic management, communication, navigation, surveillance control, aviation meteorology, and equipment maintenance.

He said that before the completion of the facility in June 2023, CHEC will also assist to train the experts from Civil Aviation Authority who will provide maintenance services at the facility along with their Chinese counterparts.

"We want to have a long-term relationship with South Sudan, so we not only consider the construction of an ATM, but we also consider the training to support its future maintenance and operations," Duan said in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.

Duan revealed that CHEC is currently in negotiation with the Ministry of Transport to bring in Chinese experts who will train local technicians on the maintenance of the ATM.

The ATM system is a 200 million U.S. dollar concessional loan project to South Sudan, channeled through the Export-Import Bank of China.

The project comprises the construction of the Juba ATM center, new Air Traffic control tower and operation building, surveillance system, navigation system, communication system, and the civil engineering and supporting facilities such as meteorological facilities, calibration flight test, and personnel training.