Ties between South Africa are set to depen as the two countries mark 25 years of diplomatic relations which in 1998 while the ruling ANC and the mighty Communist Party of China have had close ties for much longer dating back to the apartheid era.
International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor led a delegation consisting ministers and ruling party leaders to the Chinese embassy in Pretoria where they were hosted by Chen Xiaodong.
China is South Africa’s biggest trading partner for 15 consecutive years and while the latter has been China’s trading partner on the African continent for 13 years now with trade between the two countries at just under a trillion rand Chinese investment in South Africa at well over R200 billion.
The Ambassador said South African agricultural exports to China have grown considerably over the years.
“Products such as citrus, beef, other fruits and vegetables have grown tenfold from when it started. China will continue to buy from South Africa to supply the Chinese consumers,” he said.
He said thousands of South Africans are in China teaching English while the number of Chinese people studying in South Africa is rising rapidly. The two countries are BRICS members and Pandor said their partnership should be seared as changing global politics in a meaningful.
“I believe that we have many more decades to add to our partnership and that the coming years will require continued consultation on issues affecting both the developing world and the global South. The international system is in flux, and it is our concern that the world will become increasingly divided unless South Africa and China, in unison, call for reform of global governance system,” said the minister adding that among others the two should strive to ensure that the international system is more representative, equitable and relevant to address the current global challenges of peace and security, development, and global inequality.
“South Africa hopes that we will continue to expand our cooperation in terms of the various FOCAC infrastructure projects in South Africa through China’s support, such as the development of the Small Harbours project. At the same time, we should ensure that we fast-track development projects on the African Continent, particularly as this relates to promoting China’s Belt and Road Initiative in alignment with the AU’s Agenda 2063,” she said.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is aimed at connecting Asia to Africa and Europe through road as well as marines and entails the loans to African countries for development of key infrastructure.