By Richard Chirombo of The Daily Times of Malawi and Hubei-based reporters of China Daily Zhou Lihua, Liu Kun & Zhang Guorong:
Morning light spread over the experimental fields in Blantyre, morning dew dampened the running shoes, with national flags in the orange orchard contrasting with tender green seedlings.
At 6am on September 28, 2025, the unique ‘African Citrus Mini- Marathon’ kicked off warmly at Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station under the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), South-South Cooperation (SSC) Malawi Phase II Project.
This event, which was premised on the two countries’ ‘friendship’, is not only a celebration of three major happy events in October—the events being the 76th anniversary of the founding of China, the 80th anniversary of FAO’s establishment and the upcoming launch of the Malawi Marathon—but also a vivid demonstration of China-FAO-Malawi SSC’s commitment towards the promotion of shared ideals.
Such an event measures friendship with every step, pays tribute to cooperation through sports and enables the vision of ‘Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment, and Better Life’ to take root with the running steps, adding a warm touch to the friendship of the three parties.
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More than 50 Chinese and Malawian technicians and some Chinese compatriots in Malawi wore quick-drying clothes that were sponsored by China Yipao Group. They also hoisted the national flags of China and Malawi, ran five kilometres around the boundary of the 267-hectare experimental field within the agricultural station and, finally, checked in at the first citrus observation orchard of SSC in Malawi.
The participants were divided into the Fruit Tree Group, Vegetable Group, Comprehensive Group and Women’s Group for preliminary competitions, with the top four winners being determined in the final.
The initiator of this special marathon event is Liang Suiquan, a senior agricultural expert from China’s Hubei Province and an elite popular runner in Malawi. It is the citrus seedlings he personally cultivated that brought the ‘orange orchard’ and ‘marathon’ together.
In November 2024, Liang introduced nine new citrus varieties and 90 scions from China, and took the lead in demonstrating the grafting and cultivation of 960 seedlings at Bvumbwe Agricultural Research Station in Thyolo District.
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Last February, these seedlings, carrying technology and hope, were transplanted to the experimental field, becoming the ‘stars’ of Malawi’s first citrus observation orchard under SSC.
In less than a year, the seedlings have grown from tiny 1 centimetre (cm) buds to an average height of 45cm.
Last June, Dr. Eviness Pemphero Nyalugwe, who is the Malawi Government Focal Person for SSC, and Dr. Babagana, the FAO Representative in Malawi, visited and inspected the site and spoke highly of this achievement.
“Advancing the citrus pilot observation [initiative] has laid the foundation for the subsequent introduction of mango and apple varieties,” they noted.
No wonder, Suiquan was equally elated.
“[The] Yichang citrus [fruit] has found a new home in Africa,” Liang pointed out, his sentiments not only a testament to the transfer of technology but also the source of inspiration for the event.
This is not surprising, considering that even the preparation of race equipment is filled with heartfelt care that transcends mountains and oceans.
Last February, Liang initiated a campaign on WeChat Moments, calling on members of his hometown’s Yiling Running Association to donate gear.
Zhang Aihua, president of the association, responded promptly, organising fellow runners to donate and contribute sample clothes from previous races, culminating in the collection of over 200 quick-drying shirts.
These love-filled items travelled thousands of miles to Malawi via two groups of ‘messengers’: On August 18, four doctoral students from China Agricultural University, including Li Yuzhe, brought the first batch of 13 kilogrammes of equipment. They were also in Malawi to provide guidance.
On September 3, when Donasius Pathera, the SSC Project Coordinator, led eight officials from Malawi’s Ministry of Agriculture on a visit to China, he made a special trip to the Yiling National Modern Citrus Industrial Park—which is the hometown of foreign aid expert Liang— and then relayed the remaining supplies back.
Yan Wei, a Chinese national from Fujian who has lived in Blantyre for years, learned about the running celebration and voluntarily sponsored over 60 pairs of slippers and prizes, completing the package of all the ‘gifts’ for the ‘African Citrus Marathon’.
“Thank you to my friends and family for helping me realise my dream. I love marathons and I love Malawi’s citrus orchards even more,” Liang pointed out.
He hopes running can serve as a bridge that deepens the friendship between Chinese and Malawian technicians, as they work together toward meeting the ‘Four Betters’ goal which FAO advances.
Dr. Charles Malidadi, who is the SSC Focal Person at the Ministry of Agriculture’s research station, who joined the run, wiped his sweat and smiled excitedly: ‘This is the first time I’ve run on the experimental field with Chinese friends who taught us citrus-grafting techniques. Every step feels like stepping to the rhythm of cooperation.”
From citrus branches in Yiling to citrus orchards in Africa, the ‘Citrus Marathon’—initiated by Liang, with citrus seedlings as the medium and running as the bridge—has weaved agricultural technology exchange and cross-border mutual assistance into every step of the journey. It stands as a vivid reflection of SSC and the deepening bond between the peoples of China and Malawi.
In the morning light of Blantyre, the experimental field-turned-track bears witness to joint efforts; the quick-drying shirts carry concerns from thousands of miles away; and the growing citrus seedlings recording the tangible results of cooperation each passing day and night.
This “small, yet beautiful, initiative”—as Liang puts it— has transformed cooperation from a concept into the sound of side-by-side footsteps, the rustle of growing seedlings and the resonance of connecting hearts.
As more such “small events” come together, the tree of China- Malawi friendship will surely continue to grow toward the sun, nurtured by practical actions and sincere intentions.
