H.E. Ambassador Pan Hejun giving a speech

Hon. Ken Kandodo, Minister of Finance,

Hon. Mohammed Sidik Mia, Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure,

Hon. Ken Lipenga, Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture,

Hon. Steven S. Kamwendo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to attend the Celebration Ceremony for the Completion of the Main Structure of the International Conference Center and Five-Star Hotel. This is really a joyful and exciting moment.

In December 2009, H.E. Prof. Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi personally laid the foundation stone for the International Conference Center and the Five-Star Hotel. The construction work of this project has been progressing very well with each passing day. We are expecting the whole project will be completed by the end of this year.

Here, on behalf of the Chinese Government, I wish to express my sincere thanks to the contractor Shanghai Construction Group and all the Chinese and Malawian workers for the excellent job they have done. And I also wish to thank the Malawian Government and people for the valuable and generous support they have given to the Chinese contractor.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Malawi has the beautiful Lake Malawi, the Mulanje Mountain and wonderful national parks with various wild animals. The tourism industry in Malawi has huge potentials. More hotel facilities will surely promote tourism in Malawi.

The International Conference Center and Five-Star Hotel complex, which have a 1500-seat conference hall and 130 guest rooms of international standard, as well as 14 presidential villas, will attract more and more foreign tourists to Malawi and enable Malawi to host international conferences such as the AU Summit.

Besides, the project has created many of jobs for local people. I was told that the Chinese contractor has employed more than 500 Malawian workers, and has trained them to become skilled workers. After the International Conference Center and Five-Star Hotel is completed and officially opened, many Malawian people will find their jobs there.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The international Conference Center and Five-Star Hotel is a true reflection of the warm and cordial relations between our two countries. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations over three years ago, China-Malawi relations have developed very fast. H.E. President Bingu wa Mutharika visited China twice. Our two-way trade volume has surpassed 100 million US dollars in 2010, which is more than doubled comparing to the figure of 2007. The New Parliament Building has been completed. The Karonga-Chitipa Road will be completed and open to traffic by the end of this year. And the construction of the Malawi University of Science and Technology will be started very soon. Under the framework of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), China will implement some other projects such as Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center, solar and biogas pilot projects and a primary school. The cooperation in the fields of education, public health, media, culture, sports, youth etc. have also been carried out smoothly and have yielded fruitful results.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The construction period of the International Conference Center and Five-Star hotel is planned 30 months. In order to make use of the conference and hotel facilities as soon as possible, the Malawian Government has requested Chinese side to cut the construction period by 10 months. This is not an easy task. But I am full of confidence that, the contractor Shanghai Construction Group will do their best to complete the project in due time and in good quality. And I hope the Malawian government, the Ministry of Transport and Public Infrastructure in particular, to continue to give all the necessary support to the contactor.

I am looking forward to attending the final completion ceremony early next year.

Thank you.