China setting key example in poverty fight, Mutharika says

Malawi wants to use China as an example to guide its people from poverty to prosperity, Malawian President Peter Mutharika said in Beijing on Friday.

"We come to China to learn our lessons. China's history is a great lesson to Africa," Mutharika said in a speech at the University of International Business and Economics.

The inspiring history of China shows it is possible for an African country to move from poverty to prosperity, he added.

Mutharika is in China to attend the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation on Monday and Tuesday.

Calling his country one of the best investment destinations in Africa, Mutharika said they will "focus on production" to take the Malawian people out of poverty." China made it, Asia made it, so we can do it, we will do it," he said, adding that "prosperity is possible" and "victory is possible".

UIBE President Wang Jiaqiong conferred an honorary professorship on Mutharika. Expressing his gratitude, Mutharika said, "This professorship conferred on me is a symbol of the goodwill of the great nation and wonderful people of China."

Manuel Dejesus, a Malawian student pursuing his bachelor's degree at UIBE, said Mutharika's speech is "very motivational and encouraging. It has good meaning and it has added incentives to our country," Dejesus told China Daily.

Dejesus has been studying international trade at UIBE for almost four years. Thanks to the scholarship provided by the Chinese government, he has been able to study at a high quality university of international trade and business, he said.

Dejesus said he hopes to have a chance to do a master's degree at UIBE, adding that he wants to learn from China to help develop his country.

Twenty-three Malawian students are studying at UIBE. As part of efforts to strengthen people-to-people exchanges, China provided scholarships to 20,000 African students in the past three years, officials said.