‘State visit an opportunity to deepen collaboration with China’: Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the upcoming state visit by China is an opportunity to assess progress in the areas of co-operation between the two countries and identify ways to deepen collaboration.

Ramaphosa will receive Chinese President Xi Jinping on his fourth state visit to the country on Tuesday. Jinping is also expected to participate in the 15th Brics Summit in Johannesburg this week.

Hailing this year as marking 25 years of diplomatic ties between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China. Ramaphosa said South Africa's bilateral relationship with its largest trading partner is almost as old as its democracy. 

“Relations between the two countries are underpinned by a 10-year strategic programme of co-operation (2020-2029). President Xi’s visit is an opportunity to assess progress in the areas of co-operation and identify ways of deepening collaboration,” he said.

The president said in addition to structured bilateral mechanisms, South Africa and China collaborate on international strategic platforms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Brics, the G20, the G77 plus China alliance and others. 

He said energy co-operation between South Africa and China is a focus area that holds great promise.

“In June this year companies from both countries participated in a New Energy Investment and Co-operation Conference which looked at opportunities for collaboration in the green economy, the just energy transition and the transfer of science and technology,” he said.

Ramaphosa, counting about 200 Chinese companies operating in the country, said South Africa has a great deal to learn from China's development path.

“Among other achievements, China has lifted nearly 800-million people out of poverty over 40 years. According to World Bank data, through this China has contributed close to three quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty.”

The president said China and South Africa have long shared a common understanding that trade and investment are the foremost catalysts for improving the living standards of their respective people as partners in development.

“South Africa is eager to deepen its collaboration within the frameworks of China’s common prosperity doctrine and strategy and our own National Development Plan and Economic Reconstruction and Development Plan.”

Ramaphosa said South Africa was keen to harness the developmental potential of China’s Belt and Road Initiative announced by Xi in 2013, adding they are collaborating on the design and implementation of poverty alleviation strategies aligned with respective developmental visions, and on women and youth empowerment. 

“We want to address the trade deficit between South Africa and China. Bilateral trade with China has grown exponentially from less than R1bn in 1998 to more than R614bn in 2022. We hope to use this state visit to discuss how to narrow the significant trade deficit that exists in China’s favour, mainly through facilitating greater entry of value-added South African goods, products and services into the Chinese market,” he said.

Another area of interest identified by Ramaphosa is tourism promotion. He said it was a potential area of co-operation.

“With the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, China is an important source for tourism. The number of visitors from China in June 2023 was four times higher than the same time last year. South African Tourism expects inbound Chinese tourism will recover to pre-Covid levels by 2026.”

The president said government will actively promote South Africa as a tourism destination for Chinese tourists at the China International Import Expo, China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and others. He said it was encouraging that direct flights between South Africa and China are increasing. 

“In 2025 South Africa will assume the presidency of the G20 group of countries, and we are encouraged by China’s support for our presidency. Our collaboration with China in international affairs and on multilateral platforms is underpinned by a commitment to the transformation of global governance institutions to make them more inclusive and to give more developing economy countries a voice.”

Ramaphosa said he was encouraged by China’s commitment to supporting African countries to meet the aspirations contained in the AU's Agenda 2063, and to the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

“As we mark this milestone in South Africa-China relations, our country stands ready to work closely with the government and people of China towards a shared future of meaningful and mutual benefit.”

TimesLIVE