Dear press friends,

All invited guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning. First of all, Let me welcome you all to the workshop on How to Achieve Win-Win Cooperation between China and Malawi. And thank you all sincerely for your kind present here today.

I just came back to Malawi from my holiday in China and have got a lot of fresh energy to carry forward the bilateral relations between our two countries. But when I read the local newspapers in the past two months when I was absent here, I have been feeling very upset, confused and discouraged. So many negative reports in the front pages and commentary articles blamed or complained China and Chinese people giving a totally negative image of China and the Chinese peoples to the Malawian people. The media environment become so negative and discouraged that I don't know what's wrong China has done to Malawi and how to carry forward the cooperative relations between our two countries.

Indeed, and unfortunately, there are three Chinese individual businessmen and business lady in Malawi recently being involved in several ugly and illegal activities. We strongly condemn such ugly and illegal behaviors and fully support the Malawian government to deal with them by laws. But what the three Chinese individuals did in Malawi can not deny what the Chinese government and people try our best to do good to Malawi and Malawian people.

It's known that every country has its bad guys, China cannot be an exception. The Chinese government always requests its oversea citizens to abide by the local laws and regulations, and respect the local culture and traditions. The Chinese Embassy will never tolerate or shelter any Chinese who commit law-breaking and conduct illegal activities in Malawi or in any countries. Instead of that, the Chinese Embassy here will not only respect the rule of laws of Malawi, but also join the Malawian government to deal with any illegal activities conducted by any Chinese. This is our solemn position and commitment.

In order to clear the way for both of us to facilitate the win-win cooperation between our two countries and improve such a discouraged situations, last Sunday, I called a meeting of Chinese nationals in Malawi to educate, challenge and discipline them. In the other hand, I would like to take this opportunity to seek advise from Malawian friends on how to develop China-Malawi relations to achieve win-win cooperation and benefit our two peoples. That is why I call such a workshop here today.

Your Honorable, Ladies and gentlemen,

Both China and Malawi are new friends and new development partner. China always regards ourselves as a true friend and reliable partner to Malawi and try our best to join in your efforts to achieve sustainable economic development. As the first Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to Malawi, I am very proud to witness such rapid and fruitful development of our bilateral relations in such a short time. I have never witnessed my government have such a big commitment and assistant package to a single friendly country in such a shot time. But to Malawi, the Chinese Government has the exception and deliver all the promises sincerely and definitely. The cooperation in various fields between China and Malawi has already bear fruits which are so visible and tangible

The Parliament Building in Lilongwe has already taken shape and will hand over to the Malawian side next May. The 13 KM of Karonga-Chitipa Road from Karonga has been tarred except two bridges which will be completed before the end of this Nov., the construction of the left 88Km has started and the whole Road of 101 Km will be completed before the end of June 2011. These two projects will cost China about $40 million and $70 million respectively by grant.

The ground breaking ceremony of the constructions of an International Conference Centre, a Five-star Hotel in the capital hill will be held soon. The construction of the National Stadium in Lilongwe is on our top agenda. These projects will be built by the concession loan from China. The concession loan for the International Conference Centre and the Five-star Hotel is $90 million and for the Stadium is $65 million for twenty years with interest rate of 2％. The money will come from commercial banks and the balance of the interest rate will be paid by the Chinese government. The above mentioned projects are so important for Malawian government and people to promote your country and products to the world and are so significant to develop the potential industry of tourism. I would like to ask under such current situations of the global financial crisis, who can and will provide such a big amount of concession loan with such a good condition to Malawi to improve your infrastructure for your national development? The answer is only your true friends.

All these are landmark projects in Lilongwe. When their constructions are accomplished in 3 years. Can you imagine the outlook of the capital city of Lilongwe? That is what China want to see.

In addition to the construction projects, the Chinese government also donates goods to Malawi. On 24th, June this year, I, on behalf of the Chinese government, handed over a batch of fertilizer valued $1 million to Malawian government to support your efforts to realize your food security. The Foreign Ministry of China has provided furniture to the Malawian counterpart and the new assistant of the transportation tools for the Malawian Foreign Ministry is about to be shipped out of China. The Chinese army has already provided 3 million USD to help equip their Malawian Armed forces and will provide another 3million this year.

In the field of trade and investment. By the end of last year, 30 Chinese enterprises have invested in Malawi. One of the most important investment projects is the Balaka Cotton Plantation and Processing Project which is expected to invest UD$25 million including pre-financing local farmers by providing seeds, pesticides and fertilizer for cotton plantation, and buying back the cotton yield from local farmers after harvest, establishing a cotton seed breeding center, a ginnery plant, a cooking oil plant and a spinning mill. When the project is put fully into operation, its annual production value is expected to reach $30 million and will create about 1000 jobs for local people. Since last October, more than 50,000 local farmers have benefited from this project and the number of the beneficiaries will be doubled this year. This project is the largest one invested in agriculture in African continent by Chinese company so far.

In order to open the markets of over 1.32 billion Chinese people to Malawian products and help Malawi attract foreign investors to realize sustainable development, the Chinese government has granted a Special Preferential Tariff Treatment to 466 Malawian goods which are produced originally in Malawi. According to that special bilateral arrangement, most of the products in Malawi enjoy duty free to China. This is a unilateral preferential arrangement for Malawi, not a free trade agreement between our two countries.

In 2008, the Chinese government provided financial support to the Chinese cigarette manufacturers to purchase Malawian tobacco. Another Chinese team of 18 persons will come to Malawi next week to purchase tobacco again.

In order to help Malawi strengthen human resources development and capacity building, last year, China provided 28 Governmental Scholarships to Malawi including 3 special scholarships for government officials for master degree. This year, China granted another 25 Governmental Scholarships to Malawi. Up to now, nearly 200 officials, technicians and specialists from Malawi have been invited to China for seminars or training programs covering various fields such as agriculture, medical health, education and press. All expenses including international air tickets, and accommodation and transportation in China were covered by the Chinese government.

Two Chinese Medical Teams consisting of 17 members have been serving Malawi people in Kamuzu Central Hospital and Mzuzu Central Hospital respectively. They are working very hard and received highly appraisal from both their local colleagues and the patients.

With a view to strengthening people-to-people relations between our two countries, the Chinese government facilitates exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, sport, women, youth and press media. The All China Women Federation donated computers, sewing machines to Malawian sisters on December last year. The Ministry of Youth and Sport received 500 footballs and 100 set of cloths from its Chinese counterpart in April this year. Two youth delegations from Malawi have been invited to China to attend China-Africa Youth Festivals in the past two years. Two Malawian Media Delegations consisting 21 Malawian journalists were invited to visit China by the Chinese government in June 2008 and April 2009 respectively. Apart from these visits, the Chinese government sponsored 3 Malawian journalists to China to cover 2008 Beijing Olympic Games last year. Just two weeks ago, the China Central Television(CCTV) and Malawi Television(TVM) signed a MOU on cooperation to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between our two state Televisions. One senior press friend from Daily Times will be invited to China soon to cover the grand celebration of 60 anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

Your Honorable, Ladies and Gentlemen,

We just witness the new beginning of friendly relationship between our two countries and two peoples. The potentials for the win-win cooperation between our two countries are huge and great.

I strongly believe that the mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation between China and Malawi has strong complementarities and huge potentials. Malawi has abundant natural and human resources, while China have successful development experience, investment capitals, practical techniques and technologies and a vast market of over 1.32 billion population, and most importantly, the Governments of Malawi and China are committed to the development of friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries and are focusing on our national economic development respectively.

In order to make good use of those complementarities and huge potentials to strengthen cooperation between China and Malawi, and help Malawi in its efforts to achieve self-sustainable development, the Chinese government and the Embassy here would like to put more efforts on the following work:

Firstly. Agriculture development is the highest priority of Malawian Government. China, a largest agricultural country who has successfully solved the food security of 22% population in the world with only 7% arable land on the earth, is willing to share its agricultural experiences and technology with Malawi to achieve sustainable food security. In the near future, China will dispatch a team of agricultural experts and volunteers to Malawi, and provide some financial assistance to rehabilitate the demonstrative farm affiliated to the Natural Resources College, and help Malawi to build an agricultural technology demonstration center. Further more, I have lobby more agriculture enterprises to Malawi for their investments.

Secondly. The Chinese government will definitely deliver all the promises China has made. The agreement for 90million USD concession loan for the International Conference Centre and a Five-star Hotel in the capital hill will be signed this afternoon. The financial arrangement for the National Stadium in Lilongwe and an University in the South is on our top agenda.

The Chinese government has decided to provide 10 million Chinese Yuan ($1.5million) by grant to build a secondary school for Malawi.

We are planning to assist Malawi build 1-2 pilot projects of solar energy and one biogas pilot project. We are also interested in doing something more in the fields of health and medical service, by providing medicines and medical equipments to Malawi such as CT scanner and train more medical personnel.

With a view to helping Malawi develop by yourselves, China will continue to provide scholarships to Malawian students to study in China, and invite more professional personnel from various fields to China for the capacity building and human resources development.

Thirdly, China is willing to encourage and support more Chinese large enterprises with good reputation to invest in Malawi especially in growing and processing agricultural products such as tobacco, cotton , tea and coffee to add more value and create more jobs to the Malawi.

China is also happy to provide financial support to some Chinese enterprises to participate in your efforts to improve telecommunication infrastructure and develop hydropower. We also will encourage Malawi enterprises to go to China to look for business opportunities, and provide necessary assistances and facilities upon their needs.

To save time, I just name some of the areas. I am very sure that you may agree with me that the potentials for our win-win cooperation are so huge, and such a sincere and true friend like China deserves encouragement and smiles from Malawian friends if no appreciations.

Your Honorable, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Malawian press friends always ask me one question, that is, why China do so much for Malawi ? What do you expect to have from Malawi in return? What is your interest in Malawi? The western peoples and media always help me answer the questions that China come to African continent just for oil and mining resources.

Yes indeed, we need import a lot of oil and mining resources for our rapid economic development. But may I ask where Malawi has oil and mining resources for China? What we can expect to have in return from Malawi? The answer is clear. My expectation is so simple but very precious that is mutual understanding, mutual friendship and mutual support, smiles and favorable social and median environments for our win-win cooperation. The assistance from China to Malawi is just the help between two poor brothers and sisters. What China has done here is the good example of the new partnership between China and Africa.

But unfortunately, can you say I have gotten such a good return? I felt very sad, confused and discouraged by the negative media environment in Malawi. Because of ugly and illegal behaviors of three Chinese individuals, the local newspapers had 32 negative reports about China and Chinese people, of them 7 front pages and 5 editorials and comments. Yes indeed, those Chinese bad guys deserved complains and condemnations by the people and newspapers and punishment by laws.

But they do not represent all the Chinese, that does not mean that all the Chinese come to Malawi for bad things. It is unfair and unacceptable to deny what the Chinese government and people have done and will do good for this country and people just by the three Chinese individuals. Fairly speaking, the current negative media and social environments are not good and favorable for the win-win cooperation between our two countries We have done so much here in such a short time but I have never enjoyed the honor to have my picture in the front pages and I have rarely read the editorials and comments about what China has done and will do good for this country and people.

Contrary to that, let's look at the current media environment about China in Malawi.

1,Some days ago, when the Hon. Minister toured the new Parliament construction site, the following days, the local press complained the contractor and simple workers from China to build the grant projects, lower salary of the local employee than the Chinese, and no uniforms for the local employee, but no any comments and appreciations for the rapid progress and high quality of the construction, no comments and appreciations for the working style and spirits of the Chinese and the great contributions China has made for this landmark project in your capital.

Indeed, the grant projects must be built by the Chinese contractors so as to make sure the projects be built in good quality and on time. We will complete the parliament project in a little more than one year. You know very well how long the local contractors took.

Because of very short schedule for the project, the Chinese works from 7am to 9pm, but at 5pm the local workers will go back home. While the Chinese only have one day holiday in two weeks, the local will enjoy Sat. and Sun every week. All the Chinese are engineers and skilled workers, no simple workers. Can you say they do the same jobs and deserve the same salary?

You also may understand that business is business. The Chinese contractor here does not work free for the government but for their own profit. Profit always comes from efficiency only. It is too costly to transport a simple worker from Far East China. If they can find enough skilled workers and engineers to do their jobs properly, it is impossible for any company to transport a simple worker from China?

-About the uniforms, I was informed that there are more than 200 regular local workers in that projects who have the uniforms, but in fact, some workers for the temporal jobs who do not have, it is quite expensive for the employer to pay a uniform just for several days. I have challenged the Chinese employer to pay high attentions to the welfare of the local employee.

And most unacceptable thing is that the local press always likes to mention that that project was funded by the Taiwan authority. That is totally against the fact. When I came to this country, I got to know that the Parliament Building project was not funded by Taiwan authority, in fact, the budget for the project was expected from the Malawian government. The Taiwanese side just promised to provide 2 million USD for the furniture when it is completed.

There are still few peoples in this country who are querying the Malawian Government's decision to establish diplomatic ties with the Peoples' Republic of China. They argued that Taiwan had done more for Malawi. I like to challenge you all that the Taiwan authority has been here for over 40 years, could you show me any landmark project left by Taiwan authority except the Mzuzu central hospital? I have to tell you all that one China Policy was recognized by the UN Resolution No. 2758 adopted in 1971 and has been universally recognized in the world, the government of the People's Republic of China represents the whole China, including Taiwan. Nowadays, the peaceful development of the Taiwan straits has been proceeding very well towards the national reunification of China. The Taiwan issue will become the history of the world. Let's just conclude it just now and here.

2,Someone claimed that the arrival of Chinese had deprived the job opportunities of local people. But what they don't know is that 3147 jobs have been created for local people by 35 Chinese enterprises in Malawi. For example, the contractor of Karonga-Chitipa Road has employed 300-400 local workers with less than 20 Chinese management staff and engineers. The contractor of the Parliament Building has employed about 300 local workers while they have 200 Chinese. Another two Chinese construction companies have employed 980 and 600 local workers respectively. As I know that up to now there are about 600 Chinese citizens in Malawi but create several thousands of jobs for the local.

3,One of the MPs claimed in the parliament meeting that the Chinese construction workers for the Parliament Building are prisoners from China. I don't know how a MP can come out with such an irresponsible and baseless argument? He should have the basic knowledge to understand that business is business. The main purpose for the Chinese contractors from China to Malawi is to make profits instead of charity. It is too costly to bring prisoners out of China and look after them. He should also understand that to punish and remake prisoner is the responsibility of government, no contractor and company in the world will be so stupid and ignorant to help the government look after prisoners.

4,My colleagues and I work day and night to develop bilateral relations, while we try our best to do everything possible good for Malawi, the Malawian newspapers always like to reprint the reports about Dalai Lama or other negative reports on China from the western media like Reuters, CNN and BBC to slander and spoil the image of China.

It is known to all that Dalai Lama is not a religious leader, but a political figure, and a splitist who dreams to separate Tibet from China with very strong financial and political supports by some western countries who do not like to see China get stronger and stronger. It is CIA of America who help this Dalai Lama escape from Tibet and build their shadow government and parliament in India in 1959. We have so many temples in Tibet and always keep open to religious personnel, but Dalai Lama would not like to stay in the temples.

The Western media always hold their Cold War mindset to criticize China in various aspects from family planning policy to human rights in order to bring shame on China. We never expect them to say anything good and fair about China. You may understand very well what kind of image Africa has from the western media. How can you get hands from the west to slap your friend in the face?

China has well-known news agency, that is Xinhua News Agency. This is an official news source for China from which you can get thousands of reports on China everyday. Malawian newspapers have already signed agreements with China Xinhua News Agency. I don't know why some Malawian press prefer to follow the western media to reprint their negative reports against China.

May I know that in your 45years of independence, How many landmark projects in your capital Lilongwe are except the state house? Who will and can help you fulfill the dreams of the constructions of Karonga-Chitipa Road which the local people dreamed for more than 40years? It is unfair to see while we do more, we get more complains.

It is not fair and acceptable to deal with a sincere and true friend like China in such a way that while the friend tries his best to do good for you, you give him a hand in his face in return.

Your Honorable, Ladies and Gentlemen,

To be honest, as Chinese Ambassador, under such current negative atmosphere of media, I feel confused and discouraged on how to move forward the bilateral relations between our two countries.

This is why I have the honor to invite so many senior government officials and press friends to this workshop. I would like to take advise from and have consensus with all of you on the following questions:

1) what kind of bilateral relationship with Malawi is in the best interest of your nation and people?

2) What kind of friend you expect to have?

3) How to deal with a true friend, a reliable development partner?

4) How to build up friendly and favorable media and social environment for the win-win cooperation between China and Malawi?

5) How to achieve win-win cooperation between China and Malawi ?

Thank you all for your attention, your kind advise and input.