China commits to aiding MW2063 implementation
The Chinese Government has committed to support the implementation of the country’s new development blueprint, the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) Vision, in the areas of infrastructure development, agriculture, education, science and technology, among others.
Malawi launched the MW2063 in January this year which requires that all government development plans and those of development partners should be aligned to it to achieve the vision’s embedded targets.
Chinese Ambassador Liu Hongyang made the commitment in Lilongwe on Friday during the 100 anniversary celebrations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which attracted delegates from both the governing and opposition political parties.
Said the envoy: “We are ready to align our development strategies with the Malawi 2063 in areas like infrastructure, agriculture, education, science and technology.”
Liu said China expects Malawi to join the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese Government in 2013 to invest in countries and international organisations.
Through the initiative, he said, Malawi will benefit from plans to revamp the rail transport sub-sector in line with the new vision, among others.
“President Lazarus Chakwera, for instance, has mentioned the importance of the rail line linking the Southern Region to Mozambique. All this can be covered in the Belt and Road Initiative,” Liu said.
He described the Belt and Road as a Chinese-led economic investment initiative aimed at linking the world infrastructure together to ease the difficulties of doing business and help countries to build and flourish for the benefit of the people.
The envoy said they first need to sit down with the Tonse Alliance administration to identify priority areas for cooperation and once the areas are agreed, China is ready to support Malawi’s quest to eradicate poverty.
On politics in line with the 100 years anniversary of the founding of the CPC, Liu said they already established a working partnership with the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) last year.
He said: “The strong governance and leadership of the CPC brought China to where it is today, being the second richest nation in the world, which it achieved through consultations with eight minority political parties and independent institutions and experts.
“Such state of the CPC resonates well with the spirit of the Tonse Alliance administration which embraced both big and small political parties to work together for national development.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs Eisenhower Mkaka hailed the relationship with China, saying the Malawi Government can learn from China’s development path to achieve wealth creation and self sustenance.
Mkaka, who is also MCP secretary general, said the Tonse Alliance administration shares CPC’s philosophy of consulting political parties and independent institutions on big policy decisions to ensure inclusive development.
The event was also attended by Democratic Progressive Party vice-president (East) Bright Msaka, former president Joyce Banda and United Democratic Front president Atupele Muluzi.
China has facilitated various infrastructure developments such as the Malawi University of Science and Technology, Parliament Building, Umodzi Park and Bingu National Stadium.
