SA chairs meeting to reinforce Africa, China ties

BEIJING: THE Minister of International Relations and Co- operation, Maite Nkoana- Mashabane, co- chaired the Co-ordinators Meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (Focac), here yesterday.

South Africa and China will be the co-chairs of Focac until the year 2018.

The Focac Co- ordinators meeting was scheduled to assess the progress in terms of implemetation after the commitments made at the Johannesburg summit in December.

Focac meetings are aim at reinforcing friendship and co-operation between the governments and people of Africa and China.

This refers in particular to large infrastructure programmes that complement those identified within the AU’s vision for the next 50 years, Agenda 2063.

Attention is given to implementation and utilisation of the Focac Fund.

This was announced by President Xi Jinping during the Joburg summit.

While in China, the minister also held discussions with her counterparts at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce to review the status of bilateral relations and the implementation of the 23 agreements signed during Xi’s state visit to South Africa in December.

After her working visit to China, Nkoana- Mashabane will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia, to deliver an address on behalf of President Jacob Zuma, at the Opening Session of the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum on Tuesday. The theme is Decentralising Growth and Empowering Future Business.

The World Islamic Economic Forum brings together government leaders, captains of industry, academics, regional experts, professionals and corporate managers to discuss opportunities for business partnerships in the Muslim world. – ANA