General

Overlooking Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, from the air, the Bingu National Stadium is very artistic; The smooth and winding Nsangji-Malka highway extending to the distance is being paved, and the agricultural products from the villages along the line are being transported to the city at a faster speed... These landmark projects in Malawi are being built with the assistance of Chinese enterprises. Malawi is located in the southeast of Africa and is a landlocked country. Although China and Malawi are far away, the friendship between the two peoples has deepened through steadily advancing international trade and economic cooperation and extensive and active people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

On March 23, 2022, China and Malawi signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly building the "the Belt and Road". The signing of the "the Belt and Road" Memorandum of Understanding has brought new historical opportunities for the further development and cooperation of bilateral relations. The "the Belt and Road" initiative is consistent with Malawi's national development plan, and Malawi's accession to the "the Belt and Road" can be said to be just in time. China-Malaysia friendship has shown new vitality.

Steady progress in economic and trade cooperation

Bilateral international trade between China and Malaysia has flourished. In 2022, the bilateral international trade volume between China and Malawi will reach US $293 million. Chinese enterprises that have invested in Malawi in recent years have provided valuable employment opportunities for local people.

Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world. The majority of the domestic population is still engaged in agricultural production activities. The export products are mainly concentrated in a few low-value-added products, including primary products from agriculture, fisheries and other industries. On August 17, 2022, China and Malawi jointly signed an exchange of letters for three cooperation projects, including the zero-tariff treatment of 98% of Malaysian products imported to China. Since December 1 of the same year, China has implemented zero tariff on 98% of the products with tax items originating in Malawi. China has continuously expanded the tax items of preferential tax rates, and pragmatically promoted the economic development of the least developed countries on the African continent, giving them the opportunity to participate in international trade and enter the market.

Jointly build Silk Road partners

Over the years, China and Malawi have cooperated more closely and pragmatically in infrastructure and other fields. These cooperation projects have brought tangible benefits to the local community. Many projects have become "national landmarks" and are printed on Malawi's paper money. The parliament building on Malawi's 200 kwacha banknote and the Malawi University of Science and Technology on the 2000 kwacha banknote have been built with assistance for Chinese enterprises.

"China's wisdom", "China's experience" and "China's plan" are expected to benefit more Malawians in the in-depth cooperation between China and Malaysia. On June 20, 2022, Malawi - Hunan Agricultural University Industry-University-Research Cooperation Base and Malawi Offshore (China) Industrial Innovation and Exchange Center were officially listed. The establishment of the cooperation base is conducive to the cooperation between China and Malaysia in agriculture, fishery, industry, education, talent and other aspects, and improves the cooperation level and governance efficiency of the two sides in poverty eradication, hunger eradication, human settlements improvement, employment promotion, carbon emission reduction and other aspects, and promotes Malawi to change the mode of economic growth, achieve "resource-based", "value-based" and "industrialized" development, and improve industrial quality. In 2022, the "Central African Academy of Science and Technology Agricultural Development and Poverty Reduction Demonstration Village" was inaugurated in Malawi. The students of the "Central African Academy of Science and Technology" and local farmers jointly carried out technological innovation and experimental demonstration to improve farmers' production skills and promote crop income. The "China-Africa Academy of Science and Technology" focuses on China-Africa agricultural science and technology exchange and talent training, so that China's advanced agricultural science and technology can benefit more African farmers.

Not only has China-Malaysia cooperation deepened in the field of agriculture, but also both sides have made frequent efforts in the field of digital cooperation. On November 14, 2022, the 2022 "Future Seed" project of Chinese enterprises in Malawi was officially launched. The construction of the two phases of Malawi's national optical backbone network project, which is provided with preferential loans by the Chinese government and implemented by Chinese enterprises, will greatly promote the development of Malaysia's information technology industry and digital economy, and provide a broad platform for young people in Malaysia to display their ambitions.

The "the Belt and Road" is the road to prosperity, opening up and happiness. While China has made continuous development and progress, it has shared the fruits of cooperation with the world through "China built" and "China technology" to promote the development of international trade and achieve mutual benefit.