Xi Jinping surprises Mutharika

Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has revealed that Chinese President Xi Jinping surprised him with a personal birthday gift and message as he celebrated his 86th birthday, describing the gesture as a symbol of the enduring friendship between Malawi and China. The birthday gift and personal greetings were presented to Mutharika by China’s Ambassador to Malawi, Lu Xu, at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe. APM described the gesture as an honour and a reflection of the enduring friendship between the two countries. “I am deeply honored and thrilled to have received birthday greetings and gifts from His Excellency President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. This kind gesture reflects the strong and enduring friendship between Malawi and China.” Receiving the gift, Mutharika asked the Chinese Ambassador to convey his appreciation to President Xi, whom he described as both a colleague and a dear friend. “I want you to extend my most sincere appreciation to His Excellency Xi Jinping, who is my colleague and a dear friend. I really appreciate this gift, which is also a gift to the Malawi people.” The President praised China’s longstanding support for Malawi, saying Beijing has played a key role in education, infrastructure and other sectors of the country’s economy. “We have a very cordial relationship and we appreciate all the support that China is giving to us—from education, infrastructure and various aspects of the economy. We really appreciate it, and we will continue this relationship. It is a permanent one and we will continue it forever,” Mutharika said. The birthday gesture comes at a time when Malawi and China continue to deepen cooperation in infrastructure development, trade, agriculture, health, mining and other strategic sectors. It also comes only days after the United Kingdom announced plans to almost completely end its bilateral aid to Malawi. The UK said it will retain only 10 percent of its current aid, although commentators have warned that there is no guarantee even that level of support will continue. The announcement has prompted calls from various stakeholders for Malawi to reconsider its current mining agreements with British and other Western companies, including those headquartered outside the UK. The Malawi government has not formally stated how it plans to respond to the aid cuts.