Chinese make jobs in Malawi, not take them -Ambassador

China Ambassador to Malawi, Zhang Qingyang, has said Chinese are not taking jobs for Malawians but are creating employment in the country and contributing to economic development.

There have been concerns that Malawi’s open door on Chinese immigration is costing Malawians jobs and also that the Chinese traders are displacing locals.

The issue has been magnified in this time of economic weakness.

But the Chinese Ambassador has dismissed allegations that its nationals are taking over local jobs at the expense of Malawians.

“We are not taking over jobs, on the contrary, we are creating jobs,” said the Chinese ambassador in Lilongwe following the signing of the third phase of a technical agreement for Malawi Parliament between Beijing and Lilongwe.

He added: “I am 100 percent certain of that. Many Malawians are getting jobs in various projects and learning skills from their Chinese counterparts. They are leaving these jobs better skilled and taking up jobs they could not have taken before.”

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe defended the continued presence of Chinese workers under the agreement saying Malawi needs technical experts.

Malawi launched diplomatic relations with China during the Bingu wa Mutharika administration after dumping Taiwan.

Since the diplomatic switch, there has been an influx of Chinese nationals into the country for business and work in projects.

Recently, Dedza East legislator and Chairperson of Health committee in the National Assembly, Juliana Lunguzi took to social media to express shock over mysterious and unexplained underway construction done by the Chinese people in the country.

Lunguzi flashed a photo on Facebook and captioned it: “I just took this photo a few minutes ago on my way to Area 44 which is also our road to the State House. What caught my attention is that there is a huge structure under construction. However the writing outside is in Chinese so am not sure what someone is building in my capital city on the way to the state house. Again the builders I saw are all Chinese. Am still curious.”

She continued: “Funny enough on this route to the State House after the Capital Hotel roundabout, there is a Chinese shopping complex, after four seasons the is I hear Chinese embassy just constructed, before this unknown building. Then our very own presidential villas built by Chinese.”

Lunguzi wondered on who actually owns the land.

The lawmaker has called on Malawians to question the mysterious and un explained ownership of this land.

“Would I be wrong to say that this street has been leased to the Chinese? For heaven’s sake this is serious Prime Land, you mean no Malawian Investors or nationals have the capacity to develop in this prime land? I think we must start asking tough questions now before we get displaced.”

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