Zuma to lead delegation on visit to China

PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma will lead a delegation of ministers and businesspeople on a state visit to China next month‚ when he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The visit signals a further consolidation of South African-Sino relations. This is Zuma’s second state visit to China. In 2010 he took 17 ministers and 300 businesspeople‚ and signed the Beijing Declaration on a comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

About 100 South African companies in sectors such as finance‚ infrastructure‚ energy‚ manufacturing‚ mining and capital equipment will be in the delegation. They will meet representatives of about 100 Chinese companies.

Nkoana-Mashabane said that the aim of the visit was to review and strengthen SA’s bilateral relations with China‚ focusing “on the priority issues of development in SA and Africa”.

Ways will be explored for China to support SA’s industrialisation by investing in the development of science and technology‚ agro-processing‚ mining and mineral beneficiation‚ renewable energy‚ finance and tourism. Also under review will be progress made in the locomotive procurement project and co-operation on infrastructure development.

“SA and China share a sound political relationship which can be used better to lay the basis for implementing SA’s economic objectives‚” NkoanaMashabane said.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies noted that trade between SA and China had grown from R121billion in 2008 to R271billion by end-2013‚ though the balance had been in favour of China.

“The composition of trade remains a concern for SA and there are measures underway to increase SA’s exports of manufactured products to China‚ such as the South African expo in China held annually since 2011, Davies said.” — BDLive