Johannesburg – Monday marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China, which came into effect on January 1, 1998, according to the Department of International Relations and Co-operation.
In a statement, the department said that throughout this period, the two countries have deepened their wide-ranging bilateral relations, which have been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership and underpinned by a new 10-year strategic programme of co-operation (2020–2029).
“Regular interaction between South Africa and China takes place at various official levels and includes exchanges of state visits and high-level engagements; co-operation across different government ministries, Parliament, business entities; and people-to-people connections. These engagements are a testimony to the great importance attached by both sides to the historic political and economic ties. South Africa and China enjoy vibrant economic relations, and China is by far South Africa’s largest global trading partner,” said the department.
They added that bilateral trade grew exponentially over the years, increasing from less than R1 billion in 1998 to the current levels of R544bn in 2021, despite the Covid-19 pandemic.
“South Africa is also China’s No 1 trading partner in Africa. More importantly, the mutually beneficial relationship supports South Africa’s foreign policy objectives towards the achievement of its domestic development imperatives as well as promotes the broader socio-economic development goals of the African continent,” read the statement.
The department said that this collaboration goes beyond bilateral relations and includes regional and multilateral co-operation to advance the agenda of the global south.
The department pointed out that this year South Africa will be hosting the 15th BRICS Summit as the chair, having taken over from China as chair of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa business communities last year.
“Furthermore, the two countries remain committed to close co-operation and partnership within the context of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC), which drives joint continental development initiatives.
“As part of the 25th anniversary of bilateral relations, Minister (Naledi) Pandor and the foreign minister of China have exchanged letters of congratulations to reaffirm the well-established relations,” said the department.
It also said that both countries were keen to explore further areas of collaboration for the mutual benefit, economic growth and prosperity of their respective nations and have planned several activities throughout the year in South Africa and China to celebrate this milestone.
The Star