On China-Malawi relations
In May last year, His Excellency Zhang Ping, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress (NPC), visited Malawi. Recently, President Mutharika attended the Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac), during which he joined the working breakfast with His Excellency Xi Jinping, president of the People’s Republic of China and other African leaders.
Since 1990s, Africa has always been the first destination for Chinese Foreign Minister to visit after every New Year. Minister Wang Yi’s visit to four African Countries is in line with this glorious tradition, which showcases the friendship between China and African countries.
Besides, it is of great significance for Chinese Foreign Minister to visit Africa immediately after the Johannesburg Summit with the theme of “China-Africa Progressing Together: Win-win Cooperation for Common Development”. During the Summit, China and Africa have come up with new plans and charted new blueprint for common development.
The outcomes of the summit can be summarised as “1+5+10”model, namely elevating the positioning by upgrading China-Africa relations from new type of China-Africa strategic partnership to comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, building five major pillars to support the new positioning of China-Africa relations and focusing on implementing the ten major cooperation plans in the next three years.
To build China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership, China will implement cooperation in the ten major fields of industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, infrastructure, finance, green development, trade and investment facilitation, poverty reduction and people’s welfare, public health, people-to-people exchanges, as well as peace and security with Africa in the next three years.
To ensure the successful implementation of these ten cooperation plans, China decides to provide a total of $60 billion of funding support.
Actions speak louder than words.
H.E. Wang Yi will deeply exchange views with Malawian side in implementing the outcomes of Johannesburg Summit, which can usher China-Malawi relations to the fast track of China-Africa cooperation, and let the Malawian people enjoy the benefit of China-Africa cooperation.
This visit will also lay a solid foundation to China-Malawi relations.
Despise short period of diplomatic ties, our bilateral relations have made substantial headway. During this visit, H.E. Wang Yi will review the achievements of China-Malawi cooperation since the establishment of our bilateral relations and discuss with Malawian side about the way forward.
First, we need to adopt the concept of win-win cooperation and common development, escalate the bilateral relations to a more mature and sustainable stage, which can better serve the social-economic development of both countries and benefit both people.
Second, we need to deepen pragmatic cooperation in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, health, and diversify cooperation fields, which can materialize the complementarities of economy of the two countries.
Third, we need to strengthen exchanges and communications in fields such as education, culture, youth and media, which would consolidate the public opinion foundation of friendly relations and create favorable atmosphere for development of bilateral relations.
Lastly, we need to intensify communication and coordination on international and regional issues, thus maintaining unity and safeguarding common interests of developing countries.
As an old Chinese saying goes, even mountains and seas cannot distance people with common aspirations.
