Africa-Press – Malawi. President Lazarus Chakwera Wednesday held discussions with China’s Vice President Han Zheng in Changsha City, Hunan Province, where the two touched on a number of issues bordering on mutual relations.
The meeting was held ahead of the 3rd China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (Caete), which has started today in the province and winds up on Sunday. Chakwera and Han touted the diplomatic relations between Malawi and China which the two countries sealed in 2007 after Malawi had severed ties with Taiwan.
“Since 2007, when our two countries established diplomatic relations, we have registered several milestones,” Chakwera said. In his remarks, Han said the relationship between the two countries has experienced a steady growth that has delivered “fruitful results”.
He recalled that in August 2021, China’s President Xi Jinping had a phone conversation with Chakwera in which the two leaders discussed the relations of the two nations.
“With the personal commitments of President Xi Jinping and Your Excellency… our relations have experienced steady and sound growth and profitable corporations in various areas have delivered fruitful results,” Han said.
Accompanied by First Lady Monica and some Cabinet ministers, Chakwera arrived in China for the expo as a guest of honour for the first event. Some of the ministers present during the partly closed door meeting yesterday were Finance’s Sosten Gwengwe and Vera Kamtukule of Tourism.
Caete is being co-sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and the People’s Government of Hunan Province. On Tuesday, Chakwera said once in China, he would seek cooperation on a number of areas including health, poverty reduction, agricultural development, trade promotion, digital innovation, green development, peace and security.
He also said he would use the opportunity to lobby with China for its support towards Malawi’s debt restructuring plan that aims at improving Malawi’s debt sustainability.
Malawi University of Science and Technology, Chitipa-Karonga Road, Bingu International Convention Centre and Bingu National Stadium are some of the projects funded by China in Malawi. Last month, the Chinese Government, through its ambassador to Malawi Long Zhou, officially invited Chakwera to the expo.
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