LILONGWE, Jan. 23– Malawi’s Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet Justin Adack Saidi has commended the Chinese government and the Chinese community in Malawi for their continued support in helping the country address food shortages.
Saidi made the remarks on Thursday in Lilongwe at a handover ceremony where the Chinese community, led by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, donated essential supplies.
The donation included maize worth 80 million Malawian kwacha (about 46,000 U.S. dollars) and a cash injection of 20 million kwacha (about 12,000 dollars) to support Malawi’s 2025/2026 Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Program.
The chief secretary noted that the timely support would significantly strengthen the government’s ongoing efforts to mitigate food insecurity nationwide.
Zhou Shanjian, chairperson of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, reaffirmed the community’s commitment to working closely with the Malawian government to tackle hunger.
He stressed that for many Chinese nationals living and working in the country, “Malawi is their second home.” In a statement released after the donation, the Chinese Embassy in Malawi said China remains ready to support Malawi during times of hardship.
The Chinese government and the Chinese community have been providing food assistance to Malawi following an appeal by the Malawian government to development partners after the release in October 2025 of a report that projected more than 4 million Malawians would face acute food shortages during the 2025/26 lean season.
On Jan. 13, 2026, the Chinese government provided 3,200 metric tons of rice, valued at over 4 million dollars, in a new batch of emergency food assistance to Malawi. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
