?

Photo taken on April 30, 2019 shows the "May 1" International Labor Day Commendation Conference for Outstanding Staff of CSCEC Egypt held in Egypt's under-construction new administrative capital city, some 45 km east of the Egyptian capital Cairo. China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), a world leading construction company, honored the most distinguished 29 workers, including 19 Egyptians and 10 Chinese workers, during a ceremony to mark the International Labor Day. (Xinhua/Li Binian)

by Mahmoud Fouly, Zhu Yingqi

CAIRO, May 1 (Xinhua) -- With smiles and thumbs up, tens of Egyptian and Chinese workers were standing in rows for a group picture while holding their honor certificates at a renowned Chinese firm in Egypt's under-construction new administrative capital city, some 45 km east of the Egyptian capital Cairo.

The honor certificates were provided by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), a world leading construction company, during a ceremony to mark the International Labor Day that falls on May 1 every year.

CSCEC is currently carrying out the construction of the huge Central Business District (CBD) in Egypt's new capital city. The CBD is designed to consist of 18 tall buildings, including the 385-meter-high Iconic Tower, which is expected to be the tallest skyscraper in Africa.

"Excellent workers and employees are golden symbols created with sweat and wisdom. These ideal workers are the stars of the CBD project for Egypt's new capital," Chang Weicai, general manager of CSCEC Egypt, said during the ceremony.

CSCEC has more than 3,000 Egyptian and Chinese employees working in the four-year CBD project that started in May 2018.

Chang praised the enthusiasm, hard work, devotion and high-quality production of all CSCEC Egypt staff, stressing that the CBD project goes in line with the goals of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for multinational common development and with Egypt's Vision 2030.

During the ceremony, CSCEC honored the most distinguished 29 workers, including 19 Egyptians and 10 Chinese workers.

"I am so proud of working for CSCEC and wearing its uniform that does not distinguish between staff members, whether they are managers, engineers or workers," Ahmed Ibrahim, a supervisor of a concrete station, said on behalf of the honored workers.

He added that the Chinese company provides massive capabilities and advanced equipments, including highly accurate labs for quality control to ensure implementation of the highest international standards.

"CSCEC is a living example of cooperation and teamwork for goal achievement. This is why it is one of the top world corporations in the field," said the Egyptian worker.

Egypt's new administrative capital city is being built on an area of 714 square km and is expected to be a new home to most government buildings and offices including ministries, the cabinet and the parliament.

The new city will also have 20 residential neighborhoods that can accommodate 6.5 million people, luxurious hotels, malls, parks and many other venues, making some room in the congested and overpopulated traditional capital Cairo that is home to about one fifth of the country's 100-million population.

The Chinese staff expressed a spirit of cooperation with their Egyptian counterparts in the project, hoping that they are all taking part in building the future of Egypt.

"I feel extremely happy and proud to be one of the constructors of this key BRI project in Egypt, which is also the largest project carried out by a Chinese company in the country," Chinese steel worker Wang Leiguo, who joined the CBD project in December 2018, said during the ceremony.

The event was attended by Zhou Jingfeng, deputy general manager of CSCEC Egypt, Ahmed al-Banna, the project manager from Dar Al Handasa, the Egyptian designer and consultant of the project, and Mohamed Abdel-Maksoud, head of the New Administrative Capital Authority.

"All the workers in the project, whether Egyptians or Chinese, are very distinguished and they have demonstrated hard work and massive expertise," Abdel-Maksoud said.

He emphasized that the CBD project is still in its initial stage and it had a strong beginning and will certainly have a stronger end.

"The project is a main and important shift in the history of the Egyptian-Chinese relations and would further strengthen the ties between the two countries," the chief of the New Administrative Capital Authority added.

CSCEC entered Egypt in 1984, and has been carrying out several projects over the past 35 years, of which the most remarkable one is Cairo International Convention Center.