The African country of Malawi opened an embassy in China on Wednesday.(Xinhua Photo)

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The African country of Malawi opened an embassy in China on Wednesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika said establishing diplomatic relations with China is a decision fully supported by all Malawian people.

"We traveled a long distance to reach this moment ... We now have a new friend in Asia," said Mutharika, who arrived in Beijing on Monday for a state visit.

Malawi severed its 41-year-old "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan, a province of China, in December 2007 and established diplomatic relations with China.

Malawi's president reaffirmed his country's adherence to the one China policy during the ceremony.

For the Chinese side, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said that by establishing diplomatic relations, the two countries have ushered in a new era of bilateral ties and cooperation.

He said Malawi and China could carry out cooperation in a wide range of fields in the future, and accepted an invitation from the Malawian side to visit the African state at the earliest opportunity.

Meanwhile, the establishment of diplomatic relations has significantly facilitated Malawi-China cooperation and exchanges, said delegates at a business forum held here Tuesday.

"The establishment of ties gave us better and easier access to many resources," said Peterson E. Zembani, CEO of Malawi's Electricity Supply Corporation, at the gathering of Chinese and Malawian business leaders.

He said now Malawi can forge more cooperation projects with China, while two-way trade, investment and technological cooperation are also expected to receive a boost.

Source: Xinhua