(City Mall Coach Terminal, 25 November 25, 2016)

 

Your Worship Willie Chapondera, Mayor of Lilongwe City,

Hon. Mark Katsonga Phiri, Group Chairman of AGMA Holdings Linited,

Staff Members,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

       Good evening! It is my pleasure and honor to attend the Celebration of "AXA a Decade of Excellence" and Launch of New Coaches. First of all, please allow me to extend my warmest congratulations to Hon. Mark Katsonga Phiri and his colleagues for this big night.

      I am very glad to know that AXA is the biggest Coach Services Company and there are more than 30 buses in the company's fleet are "Made in China". And here tonight, we are going to witness the official launch of 3buses, Chinese buses.

      We have an old saying in China, "It takes ten years to grow a big tree". The ten years of AXA have seen a great empire of coach service of Malawi in the Decade of Excellence. And I'm proud that there are Chinese buses contributing their share.

      Ladies and Gentlemen,

      In four weeks we are going to celebrate the 9^thanniversary of our relationship. Though not long, our relationship develops very fast. Our assistance to Malawi are visible. For instance, there are Parliament Building, Bingu International Conference Centre, Five-star Hotel and Presidential Villa, and Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, there's Bingu Highway between Karonga and Chitipa, and there's Malawi University of Science and technology in Thyolo, etc. Those landmark projects have changed the horizon of Malawi. Of course, our cooperation are definitely not only confined in the area of infrastructure. In fact, the cooperation between the China and Malawi covering all areas including agriculture, education, human resources, etc.

      Ladies and Gentlemen,

      Rome is not built in a day. China also started from poverty and blankness. Thirty years ago, China and Malawi are at the same stage of development. After 30 years of rapid development, China has become the second largest economy in the world. We are proud of China's development, as it embodies the hard work of the Chinese people. It will take long and hard efforts for Malawi to achieve economic independence and deliver a better and more comfortable life to its people.

     There is a famous African proverb: if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together. China and Malawi are good friends, good partners and good brothers. China will forge ahead, shoulder to shoulder with our Malawian partner, to achieve common goals in the long run.

     Once again, please allow me to congratulate Hon. Mark Katsonga Phiri and his colleagues for the "Decade of Excellece".

     Thank you!