Chinese, Malawian presidents elevate bilateral ties as they meet in Beijing

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2024. [Photo by Huang Jingwen/Xinhua]

BEIJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday met with Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The two leaders jointly announced the elevation of bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

China stands ready to deepen the friendly cooperation with Malawi from the new starting point to promote common development and benefit their people, Xi said.

He said China is willing to share with Malawi opportunities brought by Chinese modernization, strengthen bilateral cooperation in fields such as agriculture, telecommunications and infrastructure, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest in Malawi.

Chakwera said Malawi regards China as its most sincere friend.

Expressing support for strengthening the FOCAC mechanism, Chakwera said Malawi expects to take the summit as an opportunity to continue advancing Belt and Road cooperation, strengthen regional connectivity and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China.

During the summit, the two sides will sign cooperation documents on peanut export to China, news media development, and cooperation in other fields. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, who is in Beijing for the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2024. [Photo by Zhai Jianlan/Xinhua]