（9 May 2016, Kamuzu Palace）

Your Excellency, Dr. Gertrude Mutharika, First Lady of the Republic of Malawi,

Mr. Xiang Changming, Deputy Director-general of Anhui Provincial Foreign Affairs Office,

Distinguished Delegates from Anhui Province,

Dear Colleagues from Beautiful Malawi Trust,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

　　Good afternoon. It is my great honor and pleasure to attend the handover ceremony of three sanitation trucks from Anhui Province of China to Beautify Malawi Trust.

　　To begin with, please allow me to express my sincere appreciation to the delegation of Anhui Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and Anhui Provincial Government at large. I am sure these trucks can help to improve environmental sanitation of Lilongwe and elsewhere. My special thanks should go to Her Excellency, Dr. Gertrude Mutharika, First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, who graces this function despite her tight schedule.

　　Of course, I would like to say that, withour Her Excellency’s successful trip to Anhui with H.E. Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika in September last year, we could not be able to gather here for the handover caremony. Indeed, it is the trip of the President and First Lady to Anhui last September that had paved the way for all-round cooperation between Malawi and Anhui Province in various sectors including city sanitation, disaster relief, education and investment. This visit is only a prelude, and more exchanges and cooperation will follow in the days to come.

　　Ladies and gentlemen,

　　Amity between people holds the key to sound relations between states. The donation of truck is testimony of the true friendship between our two peoples. In spite of the geographical distance, our hearts are closely linked with each other.

　　Anhui Province is situated in the central region of China. Like Malawi, it is land-locked, largely agro-based, and making headway toward industrialization.

　　Malawi is equally beautiful with heart-touching scenery and warm-hearted people. That is why I feel so lucky to be appointed as Chinese Ambassador to Malawi. It is not diplomatic language to say that I feel at home here. Upon my arrival in Malawi, I have been overwhelmed by the natural beauty, social order, peace and hospitality.

　　I am also greatly impressed by Her Excellency Dr. Gertrude Mutharika, who champions Beautify Malawi campaign and devoted herself to this noble mission. Under her leadership, BEAM has been consistently pursuing a cleaner and healthier Malawi since 2014. Without the efforts of BEAM, the country will by no means be so beautiful and clean.

　　Ladies and Gentlemen,

　　It has been over eight years since China and Malawi established diplomatic ties, and our bilateral relationship has maintained fast and sound growth. We have shared rich fruits of cooperation. The major projects we have helped Malawi are as follows: Malawi University of Science and Technology, Karonga-Chitipa Road, Bingu International Conference Center, Five-Star Hotel and Presidential Villas, Parliament Building and Bingu National Stadium, China-Malawi Agricultural Technical Cooperation Farm and Agricultural Technology Demostration Center. In human resource field, China provides many training opportunities and scholaships to Malawian every year. The fourth China Mediacal Teams are working toghther with their Malawian colleague in Kamuzu Central Hospital and Mzuzu Central Hospital to the health of Malawian people. Those cooperation and projects has benefited both peoples.

　　Looking forward, we have every reason to believe that China-Malawi relations will be closer and people-to-people exchanges will be more intense. The Chinese side is committed to join hands with Malawian friends to intensify our bilateral relations, bringing more tangible benefits to both Chinese and Malawian people.

　　Thank you!