Hon. George Chaponda , Minister of Education, Science and Technology,

Hon. Cabinet Ministers and Deputy Ministers present,

Your Excellency, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of African Countries to Malawi,

Mr. Anthony Livuza, Principle Secretary of the Foreign Ministry

Senior Government Officials present,

Mr. Pi Jun Head of the Visiting Chinese Delegation and the Chinese Youth Volunteers,

Dear Press Friends,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

Good afternoon! First of all, let me welcome you all to the Photo Exhibition of the Achievements of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The selected photos exhibited here have demonstrated some of the typical achievements of the FOCAC in the past nine years. I wish these photos will give you some information about the FOCAC and key elements of the new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa.

As you may know that in October 2000, as a major initiative to promote China-Africa traditional friendship and strengthen cooperation to meet common challenges under the new circumstances, China and Africa jointly set up the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. By now, 49 African countries including Malawi have joined the FOCAC family.

Since its establishment, the FOCAC has served as an important platform and effective mechanism for conducting collective dialogue, exchanging development experiences and enhancing substantial cooperation between China and Africa. According to the Follow-up Mechanism of the Forum, a ministerial conference will be held every three years, and will be hosted by China and African countries on rotating basis, and presented by both Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of international economic cooperation affairs of member states. Before the ministerial conference, a senior officials' meeting shall be held to make preparation for it. Moreover, the African Diplomatic Corps in Beijing and the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-Up Committee of the Forum also keep regular consultations on the FOCAC affairs. In 2007, the Forum further decided that Ministers of Foreign Affairs of China and African countries would hold a political consultation meeting during the UN General Assembly in New York in the next year after the Ministerial Conference of the Forum.

In the past nine years, three ministerial conferences and the Beijing summit have been successfully held. The Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Forum will be held on Nov. 8-9, 2009 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Your Honorable, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

With successful development over nine years, the Forum has become a famous brand of China-Africa friendship and a flag leading the development of China-Africa relationship. The Beijing Summit of the Forum in particular, which was successfully held in 2006, has promoted China-Africa cooperation to an unprecedented height, and brought China-Africa relationship onto a new stage of development.

At the Beijing Summit, H.E. President Hu Jintao of China announced, on behalf of the Chinese Government, eight measures to strengthen substantial cooperation with Africa, which includes setting up a China-Africa Development Fund, building a conference center for the African Union, canceling debt of 31 African least developed countries and exempting tariff on their products exported to China, establishing 8 economic and trade cooperation zones and strengthening cooperation in the fields of human resource development, agriculture, health, culture and education. The aim of the eight measures from China is to enhance China-Africa substantial cooperation, further boost Africa's capacity of self-development, and help African countries sustain economic and social development so as to achieve our common prosperity.

Your Honorable, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

Now, I am glad to inform you that with joint efforts between China and Africa, the eight measures have been implemented well in the past three years and have born fruitful and satisfactory results.

-- China has significantly increased its assistance to Africa. In 2009, the assistance volume of China to Africa has been doubled comparing to that of 2006.

--China has provided 2.6 billion US dollars preferential loans and 2 billion US dollars preferential buyer's credits to Africa, which have funded more than 60 projects in 33 African countries.

--The China-Africa Development Fund has been set up and operating since June 2006. By now, the Fund has invested 400 million US dollars in 24 projects, and has stimulated Chinese enterprises to invest 2 billion US dollars in Africa.

--The construction of the African Union Conference Center Project funded by China was started on November, 2008. The whole project is expected to be finished and handed over to the AU before the end of 2011.

--China has canceled her debt owed by 32 African countries in form of all interest-free government loans that matured at the end of 2005.

--By now, China has reached agreements with 31 African countries on granting zero-tariff treatment to 478 export items from Africa to China, and these agreements have been implemented since July 1, 2007.

--The Chinese Government has approved the establishment of seven economic and trade cooperation zones in Zambia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Algeria. Except the Jiangling economic and trade cooperation zone in Algeria, the other six zones have been under construction, and have attracted companies to move in.

--In social development area, China has trained over 13 thousand professional personnel covering various fields for African countries, and the figure will reach 15 thousand by the end of this year. By now, there are more than 4 thousand African students in China, who are enjoying Chinese Government Scholarships, which has been doubled comparing to the figure of 2006. China has provided anti-malaria drugs for three successive years to over 30 African countries suffering serious malaria epidemic. China has helped African countries build 30 hospitals, 30 malaria prevention and treatment centers, 100 rural schools and 10 agricultural technology demonstration centers, the majority of them will be completed by the end of this year, while the others will be started to construct by the end of this year.

Indeed, China has become a all-weather friend with Africa and one of the reliable development partners to Africa. By the end of 2008, China has invested US$26 billion in Africa. In 2008, the total amount of the bilateral trade between China and Africa reached US$ 106.8 billion, 45.1% more than that of 2007. In the first half of 2009, China's direct investment in Africa, excluding the financial sector, increased 79% to US$ 875 million.

Your Honorable, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

As the youngest member state of FOCAC, Malawi has already benefited from the achievements of the Beijing summit, especially the eight measures offered by China.

--The Parliament Building in Lilongwe will be completed and handed over to the Malawian side before next May. The 13 km. of Karonga-Chitipa Road from Karonga has been tarred and will be put into full operation before the end of this November. The whole road of 101 km. will be completed before the end of June 2011. These two projects cost China about 40 million US dollars and 60 million US dollars respectively by grant.

--The ground breaking ceremony of an International Conference Centre and a Five-star Hotel will be held soon. The construction of the National Stadium in Lilongwe and the University of Science and Technology in the south of Malawi have already been on our agenda. These projects will be built by the concession loan from China, with a total amount of more than 200 million US dollars.

-- The Balaka Cotton Growing and Processing Project, which is the largest investment in the field of agriculture in Africa so far funded by the China-Africa Development Fund, with an expectation of total investment of 25 million US dollars has been put into operation. More than 50 thousand local farmers have benefited from this project and now more than 1300 regular and casual workers and managers are working for the processing and marketing. The Chinese investors has bought more than 14000 metric tones of cotton from the villages in Balaka district and its surrounding areas and is expected to buy more. Up to now, more than 6000 metric tones have been processed and packaged for the exportation to China. The cooking oil from cotton seeds will be processed by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. And a spinning mill is expected to be established.

--With a view to helping Malawi strengthen its capacity building, in the past two years, China has provided 57 governmental scholarships to Malawian students. And more than 200 government officials, technicians, specialists and press friends from Malawi have been invited to China for seminars or training programs.

-- China will provide 10 million Chinese Yuan (US$1.5million) of grant assistance to build a secondary school for Malawi and plans to provide financial assistance to rehabilitate the demonstrative farm affiliated to the Natural Resources College, and will do something more in the field of agriculture.

Your Honorable, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Fourth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC will be held in two days in Sharm El Sheikh of Egypt. This conference will be another milestone in the process of FOCAC development, which aims at conducting a comprehensive assessment on the implementation of achievements of the Beijing Summit, and working out the blueprint for China-Africa cooperation for the next three years. I am very sure that with the joint efforts and wisdom of China and Africa, the conference will achieve its complete success and bring its new impetus to developing and deepening the new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa.

I am delighted to know that a high-level delegation of Malawi led by Hon. Mrs. Eunice Kazembe, Minister of Industry and Trade and Hon. Mr. Augustine Mtendere, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs will attend the conference. I strongly believe that the active participation of Malawi will further promote the development of FOCAC and the win-win cooperation between China and Malawi.

In conclusion, I wish to ensure you all that as a sincere friend and a reliable development partner of Malawi, China will continue to strengthen substantial cooperation with Malawi under the framework of FOCAC, and join hands together with Malawi to build a new type of strategic partnership between China and Malawi so as to make sure that this relation is conducive to the national development and beneficial to the peoples of our two countries.

Thank you for your attention.