China promises Malawi more ‘buffet’ of assistance
President Arthur Peter Mutharika says the strengthening of Malawi-China ties over the years has been a double edged sword which has benefited people of both nations through infrastructure development, social and academic exchanges among other things.
He said this on Friday at Kamuzu Palace when he received letters of credence from the new ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Malawi, Shi-Ting Wang.
The Malawi leader noted that the level of relations between the two countries has quickly yielded notable results hence the need for continuity of full diplomatic functions at top level.
“It is now common knowledge that our relations with China are founded on mutual interests and common goals to the service of our respective people. The commitment whose obligations we both share is better characterized by full ambassadorial diplomatic exchanges as we forge ahead on a common path of social and development aspirations,” pointed out President Mutharika.
He said he hopes the good working relationship between the two nations will survive many generations to come.
Speaking to the media after presenting his credentials, Ambassador Wang said China will take the relations with Malawi to greater heights.
“Apart from infrastructure development and which defined the first phase of our relations, we intend to invest more this time around in agriculture.
“ We are committed to explore and invest in this area. We believe that agriculture – being the core function of Malawi’seconomy- should be mechanized so as to support irrigation and value
addition through manufacturing,” he said.
Shitting said Malawi has potential in agriculture but noted that the country faces a lot of challenges in the sector.
“We will help Malawi in agriculture by providing technological ways to enhanced productivity explained Shiting,” adding that his government has already started providing knowledge in agriculture technology transfer centre.
He also said that his country will continue supporting Malawi in infrastructure developed as they have already produced concrete results.
“China has helped in the construction of new Parliament building, Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC), Five Star Hotel, Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), Bingu International Stadium and Presidential villas these are some of the concrete infrastructure results,” Shiting said.
He further said his country has also helped in the training of 500 human resource personnels, providing scholarships to students to study in various fields and technology transfer.
Shiting also said in two months time China will hold a candle off investment forum which would bring potential investors from China to invest in the country.
China and Malawi established diplomatic ties in 2007 and since then the eastern giant has
constructed numerous state-of-the-art infrastructure across the country.
The second phase of China’s projects to commence in June this year include a coal-powered energy plant besides the agricultural interventions as relayed by Ambassador Wang.
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Please do not mortgage our country. Modern African leaders are careless with taking debt. They do not care how much and from which country. They boast with development which is all debt – financed. Why mortgage the country when you do not have resources to pay back. Financing road projects which only last less than 10years when repairs and/or replacement must be effected before payback period can be dangerous. We must be borrowing to construct railways or any robust assets which last 50 or more years. Regimes change and one day we will be faced with countries which resort to… Read more »
Much as we appreciate the assistance we get from China we Malawians must always remember that the Peoples Republic of China is a one political party dictatorship. Every Chinese must support the Communist Party-the only party allowed. There are no elections, no free press, no freedom of expression, no freedom of religion, no freedom to access internet-facebook is not allowed, no independent judiciary-when the state takes you to court just know that you are going to jail. Recently some booksellers in Hongkong who were critical of the communist government disappeared one by one. In short the freedom and democracy we… Read more »
Why a coal-fired power plant? Not that we don’t need the added electricity capacity, but coal? Just another commodity we will have to import and become dependent on (and let me guess, we’ll import it from…China?). Why not a clean and sustainable energy source? Our landscape is well suited for wind and solar energy. Look at the air pollution in China – people have to wear surgical masks over their mouths when they go outside – do we want that here? Ndimakonda mphweya wa clean wa Malawi. Please, coal may be appealing when the kwacha is crying but on this… Read more »
Is that his Excellency’s real name ?