President Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi is currently in China, participating in the Third China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation forum. During the opening of the China-Africa Expo in Changsha, China, he delivered a keynote speech, emphasizing that the key to addressing Africa’s economic challenges lies in attracting investments to boost the economy.
President Chakwera said the expo was a “defining moment for the global economy”, stressing that China and Africa are partners in common pursuit of prosperity.
“It is an honourable thing to bring Africa from the burdens of chronic debt and, instead, invest in the continent. It goes without saying that we are going to make an economic partnership between China and Africa result in exponential growth, then both sides of that partnership must reflect deep changes that must be made, in the way we have imagined our shared future,’ he said.
During his address, Vice-President Han Zheng of the People’s Republic of China emphasized that his nation has consistently viewed unity and collaboration with African nations as a crucial aspect of its foreign policy. He conveyed China’s willingness to strengthen shared assistance and cooperation with African countries, particularly in matters relating to vital interests and significant shared concerns.
“The Chinese side is ready to provide new opportunities for Africa through Chinese modernisation and China’s high-quality development. We aim to deepen practical cooperation between China and Africa, achieving even more fruitful outcomes. Together, we strive to build a closer China-Africa community with a shared future,” he narrated.
The exhibition is taking place with the central theme of “Promoting mutual growth for a collective future.” Spanning four days, the event seeks to facilitate increased presence of African-originated goods labeled as ‘Made in Africa’ in the Chinese market while fostering stronger commercial ties between the two regions. The current edition boasts a remarkable increase of 70 percent in exhibitors, with a total of 1,500 participating companies.
