Chen Xiaodong
Over the past 25 years since China and South Africa established diplomatic ties, the bilateral relations have set a fine example for China-Africa and South-South co-operation.
First, a high level of mutual political trust. The heads of state of our two countries enjoy frequent exchanges. The two sides also built multiple bilateral mechanisms that are working well, such as the Bi-National Commission, the High-Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism, the Joint Economic and Trade Commission and the Strategic Dialogue.
The CPC, the ANC and the SACP enjoy ever deeper friendly exchanges and co-operation, and the comrades plus brothers special bond between our political parties continues to strengthen.
China-South Africa relations enjoyed leaps forward from a partnership, a strategic partnership all the way to a comprehensive strategic partnership. We have now together entered a new stage of building a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future.
Second, strong win-win co-operation. 25 years ago, our bilateral trade volume was only around $1.6 billion. By 2022, our trade volume grew by almost 35 times to $57bn, which is the largest bilateral trade relationship for South Africa and also accounts for a fourth of China-Africa trade.
South Africa is exporting more quality products to China. South African beef, citrus, wine, oysters, rooibos tea and many other products are popular among Chinese consumers.
Chinese enterprises have invested more than $25 billion (R476n) in South Africa, which is more than 100 times more than 1998, and also have created more than 400 000 jobs.
Third, warm people-to-people exchanges. Over the past 25 years, the number of people travelling between our two countries has increased by about 10-fold. The High-Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism that we established is the first of its kind between China and all of Africa.
Among all African countries, South Africa built the most sister province and city relations with China, set up the most Confucius Institutes and classrooms, and hosts the largest number of Chinese students. The Chinese language has been included into South Africa's national education system. Chinese culture and language have become more and more popular in South Africa.
Fourth, solid strategic co-operation. Our two countries closely co-ordinate and co-operate with each other in international organisations and multilateral mechanisms, such as the UN, G20, BRICS and the Basic countries. We jointly promote multilateralism and greater democracy in international relations.
In 2011, South Africa joined the BRICS mechanism in Sanya, China. Twelve years later, this year, the BRICS Johannesburg Summit witnessed the historic expansion of BRICS membership. Through that, South Africa gained worldwide acclaim and made history.
There are four key reasons why China-South Africa relations have made such glorious achievements.
The first and the most crucial one is the strategic guidance of our leaders, especially President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The second is mutual respect and mutual trust. We support each other in exploring the path of development that suits our own conditions as well as on issues of our respective core interests and major concerns. China applauds South Africa for its commitment to the one-China policy.
The third is we work actively to seek win-win co-operation, strengthen complementary advantages and strive for common development and shared prosperity.
The fourth is our two peoples forged a profound friendship through strong mutual support in the struggles for national liberation, the exploration of approaches to modernisation, and the fight against the Covid pandemic.
These are valuable experience from the past 25 years. They are important sources of strength for our two sides to build on, cherish and follow for a long time to come.
In August this year, President Xi paid his fourth successful state visit in 10 years to South Africa. Through the state visit, President Xi and President Ramaphosa together ushered China-South Africa relations into the Golden Era.
China is ready to work with South Africa to earnestly implement our heads of state’s important consensus, actively build partnerships on four aspects and join hands to build a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future.
First, we should be strategic partners with strong mutual trust. The Chinese side is ready to maintain close high-level exchanges with South Africa. We are ready to work hard for successful institutional exchanges such as the Bi-National Commission, the Strategic Dialogue and other mechanisms in areas like people-to-people contact and defence.
We are also ready to support stronger exchanges among our legislatures, political parties and the armed forces in order to enhance mutual political trust and safeguard our common strategic interests.
The CPC, the ANC and the SACP are all more than 100 years young. We will continue to strengthen inter-party exchanges and experience-sharing in governance in order to further elevate party and bilateral relations to higher levels.
Second, we should be development partners for common progress. China looks forward to working with South Africa for stronger high-quality Belt and Road co-operation. We are ready to constantly expand and deepen co-operation with South Africa in areas such as trade and investment, energy and minerals, infrastructure, new energy and agriculture.
China is ready to share the huge market of the 1.4 billion Chinese people with South Africa. More South African high-quality products are welcome to enter the Chinese market.
We will expand co-operation with the South African side in electricity and energy, including to accelerate the delivery of emergency electricity equipment.
China is ready to strengthen poverty reduction experience sharing and actively advance the poverty alleviation pilot village project.
Third, we should be friendly partners with strong mutual understanding. China is ready to work with South Africa to make good use of the PPEM mechanism to strengthen people-to-people bond and boost our exchanges and co-operation in culture, education, science and technology, tourism, youth, women, think-tanks, media and localities.
China is the world’s largest source country for outbound tourism. Before Covid, each year, Chinese people would make about 150 million outbound trips. We look forward to the South African side making visa facilitation arrangements for Chinese nationals. That will attract more Chinese tourists and business people to visit the Rainbow Nation and therefore boost our people-to-people exchanges and practical co-operation. We also have our arms wide open to warmly welcome more South African friends to visit China.
Fourth, we should be global partners in upholding justice. China and South Africa are both major developing countries and emerging markets. We share the same or similar views on development, security, the international order and global governance.
China applauds South Africa’s active role and growing influence in international and regional affairs. We are ready to work with South Africa to practice true multilateralism, enhance the representation and voice of countries of the Global South in global governance and implement President Xi’s initiatives on global development, security and civilisation.
We are also ready to strengthen co-ordination on issues such as climate change, food security and the UN 2030 Agenda in order safeguard the common interests and development space of developing countries.
Since its establishment in 2000, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has become an important platform for collective dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for practical co-operation. China is ready to take the opportunity of hosting the FOCAC meeting next year to discuss the future of China-Africa co-operation and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
As we together stand at the starting point of the next 25 years of China-South Africa relations, China will work with South Africa to strengthen dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, continue to foster new golden highlights and fruits of this Golden Era of China-South Africa relations and build a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future, so as to deliver more benefits to our two countries and peoples.
Chen Xiaodong, ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to South Africa
The Star