By Chikondi Chimala in Beijing, China:
President Lazarus Chakwera Thursday hailed the impact of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), describing it as a tool for transforming economies in Malawi and other African countries.
Chakwera said this when he addressed a High-Level Meeting on the BRI Forum that was hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping after the official opening of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (Focac).
The President described BRI as an ambitious and noble initiative aimed at lifting Global South people from poverty to prosperity.
Chakwera also called on China to work with regional blocs, including the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa), which he said had regional transport infrastructure projects.
He added that his administration would like to focus on corridors that pass through Malawi, notably Nacala and Tazara corridors.
“Malawi aims to revitalise the Tazara line and has proposed extending a railway line from the Tazara line through Malawi to connect to the Nacala corridor. This would enhance intra- African connectivity, opening up vast areas of Africa to global commerce and industry, including other land-locked countries in the Sadc region.
“The Malawi Government is currently rehabilitating the Beira railway line and has already started the rehabilitation of 72 kilometres (km) of rail from the Mozambique border using local resources. The plan is to rehabilitate the entire 201km rail from Marka to Limbe, making it operational again up to Beira port in Mozambique,” Chakwera said.
He also disclosed that Malawi planned to upgrade the 272km Rumphi-Nyika- Chitipa Road, which, he said, would enhance connectivity and open up agriculture as well as mineral and tourism-rich districts, benefiting Malawi and neighbours such as Zambia and Tanzania.
The President said by investing in the outlined critical infrastructure projects, Malawi has the opportunity to bring about lasting economic prosperity for itself and establish a powerful legacy of the BRI that will benefit generations to come.
At this point, the President said there was also a need for the BRI to prioritise mass digital and energy connectivity, further calling for a focus on facilitating skills and knowledge transfer along the Silk Road.
He said the road had potential to reach 75 percent of the global population.
Chakwera said China was the world’s leader in infrastructure development, having successfully executed numerous major transport infrastructure projects beyond the BRI.
“As such, Malawi fully endorses China’s quest to be the partner of choice in infrastructure development in the Global South,” he said.
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