By Nosihle Shelembe
Beijing, China - Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola has met with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi, to exchange views on bilateral, multilateral and geopolitical matters of mutual interests.
The meeting took place on Sunday in Beijing ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s second State Visit to China and the Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled for this week.
“In this inaugural meeting, the two Ministers discussed the enduring ties between the two nations, spanning many areas of cooperation.
“They agreed to address issues such as structure of bilateral trade significantly and to increase mutually beneficial investments in areas such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, the automotive sector, green technologies and infrastructure,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said.
The talks focused in particular on South Africa’s beneficiation efforts, market access, economic growth, local job creation and the transfer of skills.
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China is South Africa's largest trading partner globally, while South Africa is China’s number one trading partner in Africa. Total bilateral trade grew from R614 billion in 2022 to R692 billion in 2023.
“In terms of Africa-China cooperation, South Africa believes that FOCAC must align with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, especially the Second Ten- Year Implementation Plan.
“South Africa believes implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will promote intra-Africa trade, boost economic growth and address the continent’s infrastructure deficit.
“Through FOCAC, China offers a unique platform to contribute to continental and regional initiatives including continental integration. The Minister inter alia reflected on cooperation within the multilateral context and through their membership of fora such as BRICS and the G20,” the department said.
The Minister welcomed China’s recent initiatives to facilitate a reconciliation agreement among Palestinian factions, who signed the Beijing Declaration.
“These efforts will contribute to peace building and demonstrate China’s significant role in this regard. The Minister further highlighted the need to also focus on conflicts on the African continent.”
Furthermore, both Ministers concurred that the United Nations, including the Security Council must be comprehensively reformed to bolster its ability to respond to global challenges and amplify the developing South’s representation within the Council’s memberships.
“This would better support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America to assume a large role in international affairs, particularly the United Nations,” the department said. - SAnews.gov.za
