China committed to strengthening and deepening relations with SA
FROM March 24 to 25, Mr Yang Jiechi, Special Envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping and member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, will visit South Africa. During this important visit, Special Envoy Yang Jiechi is expected to meet President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister Lindiwe Sisulu for International Relations and Co-operation.
Yang’s visit to South Africa comes immediately after China’s annual plenary meeting of the National People’s Congress, China’s national legislature, during which the Chinese President Xi Jinping was re-elected for the second term, and a new government leadership has been appointed.
As one of the key decision-makers of China’s foreign policy, Yang’s visit to South Africa fully demonstrates China’s strong political commitment to deepen and strengthen relations with South Africa.
As China and South Africa celebrate 20 years of diplomatic ties this year, and as both countries having formed new governments, Yang’s visit offers a perfect opportunity for the two countries to re-energise bilateral ties, and synergise development strategies and cooperation towards stronger partnership for richer harvest.
After 20 years of growth, ChinaSouth Africa comprehensive strategic partnership has become more mature than ever before. Underpinned by four pillars of political mutual trust, economic complementarity, people-to-people friendship, co-operation and co-ordination on international affairs, today’s China-SA relations delivers tangible and visible results to benefit our two peoples through four major platforms, namely the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC), Brics co-operation, the Belt and Road initiative, and South-South co-operation.
Both China and South Africa are important members of the developing world and emerging powers. To grow the China-SA comprehensive strategic partnership is our natural strategic choice, that over the years has well served the fundamental interests of our two countries and the two peoples.
China and South Africa view each other as a strategic priority in its own foreign relations. Both have kept mutual understanding and firm support on issues of each other’s core interests and major concerns.
China has for nine years in a row been South Africa’s largest trading partner. Bilateral trade reached $39.7 billion in 2017, a more than 26-fold increase from US$1.5bn in 1998 at the beginning of diplomatic relations. South Africa has been China’s largest trading partner in Africa for eight consecutive years, accounting for 1/4 to 1/3 of China-Africa overall trade.
South Africa has become the best destination of Chinese investment and tourists in Africa. According to incomplete statistics, direct investment from China to South Africa reached more than $25bn in accumulative terms by the end of 2017. More than 180 major Chinese enterprises and thousands of Chinese small and medium enterprises have established businesses in South Africa, creating more than 400 000 jobs for South Africans. In 2016, Chinese tourists to South Africa recorded 117 000, and the potential for growth is enormous.
As two major developing countries and emerging market economies, China and South Africa have effectively co-ordinated and co-operated with each other within Brics, FOCAC, G20, the UN, and SouthSouth Co-operation to fight together for a more equitable and just global governance regime.
China-SA relations are standing at a new historic starting point. Being a major economic power in Africa, South Africa boasts rich natural and human resources, well-regulated market, sound legal system, best geographic location and economic foundation in Africa.
China has a huge domestic market of 1.4 billion population and advantages in terms of capital, technologies, enterprises and expertise. Over the next five years, China will import over $8 trillion of goods, and the outflow of foreign direct investment will exceed $750bn.
Over 650 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad, which is a truly huge business opportunity for South Africa. While South Africa is actively pursuing economic and social transformation, China is promoting the supply-side structural reforms. China and South Africa enjoy huge complementarity and potential for more fruitful co-operation. The visit of the Special Envoy Yang Jiechi aims to deliver the important message of China’s continued strong commitment to China-SA comprehensive strategic partnership, its high confidence in the prospect of ever-growing China-SA ties, and its strong support for President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC government to develop the economy, create jobs, and improve people’s livelihood, by win-win co-operation for common development.
Later this year, there will be two important summits involving China and South Africa, namely SA’s hosting of the 10th Brics Summit in Johannesburg, and the third FOCAC Summit to be co-chaired by China and South Africa in Beijing. Both countries will make full use of the FOCAC, Brics co-operation, and the Belt and Road initiative, and make good use of South Africa’s location advantage and leading position in the continent to jointly forge a bridge connecting the Belt and Road initiative with the African continent.
It is known that at President Ramaphosa’s initiative, a jobs creation summit and an investment conference will be held soon. China is ready to encourage more Chinese investors and tourists to join South Africa’s endeavour for sustainable development and shared prosperity, with an aim to support South Africa’s efforts for economic development and jobs creation. Under the new circumstances, China will continue to contribute significantly to South Africa’s agenda for renewal, jobs creation and transformation.
Moving forward, China stands ready to join hands with South Africa to promote win-win co-operation for common development in 10 priority areas including infrastructure, human resources, manufacturing and processing industry, agriculture, tourism, marine economy, finance, safety and security, people-to-people exchange and international cooperation. I am fully confident that with our strong commitment and joint efforts, the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership will be injected with new energy and vigor, and produce and harvest more visible and tangible benefits for our two peoples.
Lin is ambassador of China to South Africa