Malawi President Dr Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Chakwera says his first bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, held on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Plus Outreach summit, went extremely well.

The president said the discussion has cemented bilateral partnership to spur rapid infrastructural development and macroeconomic stability.

“I stated to President Xi, Malawi’s deep gratitude for the support his government and the people of China continue to render in areas such as education, telecommunications, infrastructure and during Cyclone Freddy devastation,” he said.

During the discussions, Chinese President Xi expressed appreciation for unwavering support of the One-China Policy and for being a leading voice at BRICS and other multilateral platforms advocating for the interests of developing nations.

“China will support our efforts to build resilience against climate shocks and achieve our developmental aspirations, ” said Chakwera.

Meanwhile, BRICS countries have formally accepted Argentina, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates as part of the grouping.

The Chairperson for the 15th BRICS Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa, made the announcement during the closing ceremony of the three-day summit at Sandton Convention Centre in South Africa.

The debate over expanding the bloc, which currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was the key item on the agenda of the three-day summit in Johannesburg.