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Hand in Hand for 15 years, Set Sail on a Better Future

2022-08-02

On 2 August 2022, an article titled “Hand in Hand for 15 years, Set Sail on a Better Future” by Mr. Wang Hao, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Malawi, was published on Nation and Daily Times, the leading newspapers in Malawi. Following is the full text of the article:

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Malawi. Fifteen years is not very long, but just like fifteen years of age in people’s life, it is the most vibrant and promising time. In the past 15 years, China-Malawi relations have witnessed fast and sound development, with fruitful cooperation in various fields and deeper friendship between the two peoples.

Political mutual trust continues to deepen. China-Malawi political relations have developed in all directions with frequent high-level communications. On 27 August 2021, H.E. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China held a phone conversation with H.E. Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, setting the direction for our bilateral relations. On February 3 this year, Malawi-China Parliamentary Friendship Group of Parliament of Malawi was formally launched. It was the first time for the Parliament of Malawi to establish a friendship group with other countries. And the group has played an important role in enhancing communication between our two countries’ legislative bodies. On April 20, H.E. Li Zhanshu, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China (NPC), held a video conference with Rt. Hon. Catherine Gotani-Hara M.P., Speaker of Parliament of Malawi, stressing that the NPC is willing to further deepen cooperation with the Parliament of Malawi and make positive contributions to the bilateral relations. The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) formally established relations. The two parties are jointly leading better and faster development of China-Malawi relations by strengthening dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning.

Practical cooperation bears fruitful results. On the establishment of diplomatic ties, Chinese government undertook five major projects for Malawi in the form of grants and concessional loans, including Parliament Building, Malawi University of Science and Technology, Bingu National Stadium, Bingu International Conference Center and the Karonga-Chitipa Road, which opened a whole new chapter in China-Malawi cooperation. In recent years, the enthusiasm for cooperation between our two governments has run higher, and the bilateral cooperation continuously strengthened. China donated four batches of medical supplies to Malawi to fight against Covid-19, completed the construction and handover of eight assistance projects, including the CT scanner machine room and five community technical colleges. A number of new projects have been launched, including the National Fiber Backbone Project Phase II, the rehabilitation of M1 road, and the duty free export of agricultural products such as peanuts and soybeans to China. The economic and trade cooperation between China and Malawi has grown year by year. Chinese enterprises have built a number of high-quality and cost-effective infrastructure projects for Malawi. At the same time, they have actively fulfilled their corporate social responsibilities, provided a large number of employment opportunities for local people. Malawi is an important member of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). With the implementation of the BRI and the "Nine Projects" of The 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Malawi, I believe China-Malawi cooperation will embrace a brighter future.

Cultural exchanges forge friendly bonds. Since 2008, nine batches of Chinese medical teams have come to Malawi, totalling more than 150 team members. Known as "health messengers in white", they have treated more than 88,100 patients and are widely welcomed by Malawian people. The Chinese government provides around 100 scholarships to outstanding Malawian young people every year, and more than 1,000 Malawian students have studied in China, becoming witnesses and beneficiaries of China-Malawi friendship. The Confucius Institute at the University of Malawi holds activities such as Chinese language classes, "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Language Competitions and "Confucius Institute Day" each year. These activities serve as windows for Malawian people, especially young people, to learn Chinese language and understand Chinese culture. The Chinese Embassy in Malawi invites many top class Chinese art troupes to perform in Malawi and present traditional Chinese culture such as songs, dances, acrobatics and martial arts, which are warmly welcomed by Malawian people. Cultural exchanges have deepened the friendship between our two peoples and built an important bridge for the development of China-Malawi relations.

Friendship between our two peoples further strengthens. Chinese people have friendly feelings towards Malawian people. With the developing of bilateral relations, more and more Chinese nationals come to Malawi. They do business in compliance with laws and play an active role in economic and social development of Malawi, which also benefit the local people. At the same time, they carry forward the spirit of friendship and mutual assistance, and participate with passion in promoting public good. In hard times such as the outbreak of COVID-19 and Cyclone Idai and Cyclone Anna, the Chinese community in Malawi donated large amounts of PPEs and disaster relief materials, which really demonstrated the old saying "A friend in need is a friend indeed". They also makes donations to hospitals, orphanages and local communities, and gets widely praised by Malawian people. The Chinese people in Malawi were equally saddened and outraged by the recent report of racist video shootings. However, it must be stressed that an individual’s wrong doings shall by no means represent the vast majority of kind and law-abiding Chinese community, and this most unfortunately incident shall not be a blocking stone for the China-Malawi friendship.

One-China principle is the political foundation of China-Malawi relations. Fifteen years ago, Malawian government publicly announced the severance of “diplomatic ties” with Taiwan and recognized that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. We commend the government, all political parties and whole society of Malawi for upholding the one-China principle and supporting China's great cause of reunification over the past 15 years. Taiwan question is one left over by the Chinese civil war. There’s no force in the world that can stop the Chinese people from achieving complete national reunification. China must and will be reunified.

The spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation which features sincere friendship and equality, win-win for mutual benefit and common development, fairness and justice, progress with the times, and openness and inclusiveness, truly captures the nature of China-Africa relations working together in good and hard times over the past decades, and points out the directions for China and Malawi to work shoulder to shoulder and continue to write a new chapter of bilateral ties. Standing at a new starting point, we are willing to join hands with friends in China and Malawi to further promote the steady and long-term development of China-Malawi relations, and jointly create a better tomorrow!


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