Michael Appel
10 January 2008
South Africa and China, who are celebrating 10 years of diplomatic relations, are to strengthen these further through the establishment of a strategic dialogue mechanism.
This follows talks between Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and her Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, in Pretoria on Monday.
The strategic dialogue mechanism will focus on boosting cooperation and support between South Africa and China in the economic, trade and political spheres.
Dlamini-Zuma said she and Yang were working together to see the establishment of a programme which would assist South Africa in adding value to products for export.
She added that it was the Beijing Olympics this year in China, and in 2010 it would be the Fifa World Cup in South Africa. "The year 2010 will be a big year for both of us, as it is also the 2010 World Expo in China, which South Africa hopes to participate in."
Yang said the last decade had seen "rapid progress in our relations … and this is indeed a partnership of strategic importance."
This is Yang's first visit to Africa since being appointed China's foreign minister. His visit to SA forms part of a four-nation which includes the DRC, Ethiopia and Burundi.
"The China-Africa Cooperation Forum is witnessing good progress," Yang said, with China committed to an eight-point programme that includes increased debt relief, certain tariff exemptions and increased aid for the continent.
China's bilateral trade with South Africa grew to over R40-billion in 2005, with SA's exports to China growing from R7.85-million in 1996 to well over R8.5-billion in 2005, and imports surging from R2.4-million to R31.5-billion over the same period.
Source: BuaNews
