Prioritise education, says Chinese envoy

Chinese Ambassador Shi Ting Wang has called on the country’s leadership to put much emphasis on education if the country is to develop.

The ambassador was speaking on Friday during a send-off reception of 116 young Malawians who have been awarded scholarships to study in China.

He observed that 80 percent of the country’s population comprises young people and said if they can be properly trained, Malawi can be assured of a prosperous nation in years to come.

Said Shi Ting: “China has achieved remarkable progress in social and economic fields during the past decades. This is attributed to our continuous focus on education. Due to lack of infrastructure and manpower, Malawi is faced with many challenges in terms of education.”

He said Beijing is committed to develop the country as evidenced by the construction of education facilities such as Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), a secondary school in Thyolo and a primary school in Lilongwe, among other structures.

In his remarks, Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka said he was optimistic that the recipients of such scholarships will help in making a difference in the social and economic development of the country.

One of the beneficiaries of the scholarships, Elsie Chinoko, expressed gratitude for the cooperation that exists between the two countries, saying the training opportunity will accord the students a rare chance to realise their dreams.

Since establishment of bilateral relations between China and Malawi in 2007, about 600 Malawians have benefitted from Chinese scholarships. n