Your Excellency Former President Kgalema Motlanthe and Madame Gugu Motlanthe,
Your Excellency Dr. Naledi Pandor, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation,
Your Honorable Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities,
Your Honorable Pravin Gordhan, Minister of Public Enterprises,
Your Honorable Enoch Godongwana, Minister of Finance,
Your Honorable Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, Minister of Small Business Development,
Your Honorable Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development,
Comrade Fikile Mbalula, Secretary General of the African National Congress,
Comrade Nomvula Mokonyane, First Deputy Secretary General of the African National Congress,
Comrade Joyce Moloi-Moropa, National Treasurer of the South African Communist Party,
Comrade Madala Masuku, First Deputy General Secretary of the South African Communist Party,
Your Excellency Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation,
Your Honorable Thabang Makwetla, Deputy Minister of Defense and Military Veterans,
Your Honorable Dr Makgabo Mhaule, Deputy Minister of Basic Education,
Your Honorable Director Generals and Deputy Director Generals,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Comrades, Friends,
Good afternoon!
It is my great pleasure to get together with you to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa.
On behalf of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our distinguished guests and friends from all communities who for a long time have been supporting the development of China-South Africa relations.
Even though China and South Africa are geographically far apart, our two countries enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges.
Over the past 25 years since we established diplomatic ties, our two sides’ joint efforts have seen China-South Africa relations make historic achievements.
Our relations have set a fine example for China-Africa and South-South cooperation.
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 very 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 cooperation 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 cooperation.
25 years ago, our bilateral trade volume was only around 1.6 billion US dollars.
By 2022, our trade volume grew by almost 35 times to 57 billion US dollars, which is the largest bilateral trade relationship for South Africa and also accounts for one-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 now very popular among Chinese consumers.
Chinese enterprises have invested over 25 billion US dollars in South Africa, which is over 100 times more than 1998 and also have created more than 400,000 local jobs.
Third, warm people-to-people exchanges.
Over the past 25 years, the number of people traveling 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.
At the same time, we are happy to see thousands of South Africans teaching English in China. Thousands of South African students are also studying in China.
Fourth, solid strategic cooperation.
Our two countries closely coordinate and cooperate with each other in international organizations and multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations, G20, BRICS and the BASIC countries.
We jointly promote multilateralism and greater democracy in international relations.
In 2011, South Africa officially joined the BRICS mechanism in Sanya, China. 12 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.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,
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 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 your side’s commitment to the one-China policy.
The third is we work actively to seek win-win cooperation, 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 modernization, 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.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,
In August this year, President Xi Jinping paid his fourth successful state visit in 10 years to South Africa.
Through the state visit, President Xi Jinping 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 defense.
We are also ready to support stronger exchanges among our legislatures, political parties and the armed forces, so as to enhance mutual political trust and safeguard our common strategic interests.
The CPC, the ANC and the SACP are all over 100 years young. We will continue to strengthen inter-party exchanges and experience-sharing in governance, so as 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 cooperation.
We are ready to constantly expand and deepen cooperation 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 cooperation 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.
In order to strengthen people-to-people bond, we are ready to boost our exchanges and cooperation 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 cooperation.
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 Jinping's initiatives on global development, security and civilization.
We are also ready to strengthen coordination on issues such as climate change, food security and the UN 2030 Agenda, so as to 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 cooperation.
China is ready to take the opportunity of hosting the FOCAC meeting next year to discuss the future of China-Africa cooperation and build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Friends,
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.
Last but not least, please join me in a toast:
To friendship between the peoples of China and South Africa! To a more magnificent future for China-South Africa relations! Cheers!