By Mwai Mtumodzi
President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has stressed Malawi’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with the People’s Republic of China.
President Mutharika made the remarks at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during a courtesy call from the Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Lu Xu.
President Mutharika told the Chinese Ambassador to Malawi, Lu Xu, that the Government of Malawi attaches great importance to its long-standing partnership with China, outlining the progress made since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2007.
He expressed gratitude for China’s continued support to Malawi across key sectors, including infrastructure development, agriculture, health, education and human resource development, which he said have contributed to the country’s socio-economic growth.
Professor Mutharika further outlined his administration’s priorities, emphasising economic recovery, job creation, especially for young people and improved service delivery as central to his development agenda.
He said that, in the short term, his government is focusing on addressing challenges under the “4 Fs and M” Framework, which includes Food Security, Fertiliser Availability, Foreign Exchange Reserves, Fuel and Medicines, with a commitment to deliver tangible results within the first 12 months.
The President also called for deeper cooperation between Malawi and China in key sectors such as mining, energy, irrigation, mechanisation and agro-processing, while encouraging Chinese investors to explore opportunities in manufacturing and tourism.
The Malawi leader emphasised Malawi’s commitment to the One-China Policy and expressed readiness to benefit from initiatives such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, aimed at enhancing economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges.
Speaking after the meeting, Ambassador Lu Xu said the discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, with both sides exchanging views on how best to enhance practical cooperation for mutual benefit.
