The Chinese government will provide a loan of more than US$67 million to boost the development of the Bolivian department of Oruro, the local government said Wednesday.

The money, to be disbursed in the form of concessional credit, will mainly go to the project of Oruro Dry Port, 400 km south of Bolivia's capital La Paz.

A total of US$45 million will be used to construct the port and build infrastructure, including transportation services as well as facilities for gathering, distributing, exporting and importing goods, Oruro's Mayor Alberto Aguilar said.

Another US$6 million will be used to equip a local hospital, and the rest of the credit will be used to drill water wells, repair roads and build other projects.

On Tuesday, China donated some military equipment worth US$2.6 million to the Bolivian Armed Forces, the third such donation in recent years. Bolivian President President Evo Morales said the Chinese move will help promote his country's peace and development.

(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2010)