President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Tuesday, 22 August 2023, host His Excellency President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China on a State Visit to South Africa.
The welcome ceremony will take place on Tuesday morning at the Union Buildings in Pretoria ahead of the 15th BRICS Summit set to take place on 22 – 24 August 2023.
The State Visit takes place within the context of celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, while historic ties date back to the Bandung conference of 1955.
The South African President’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Relations between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China are governed by a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), whose programme of action is set out in a Ten-Year Strategic Programme of Cooperation (2020–2029).
“The State Visit by President Xi on 22 August will give the leaders and their delegations an opportunity to reflect on developments under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and to consider further deepening of cooperation,” said the spokesperson in a statement
According to Magwenya, the visit crowns deliberations in which the two governments have been engaging on implementing structures such as the Bi-National Commission, Joint Working Group, People-to-People Exchange Mechanism and Strategic Dialogue. South Africa and China enjoy vibrant economic relations and China is South Africa’s largest global trading partner by volume.
China is an important investor in South Africa and provides support for infrastructure development projects including the Small Harbour Development Project, the TVET Refurbishment Project and the Mzimvubu Water Project, all of which are instrumental in job creation.
It is expected that discussions during the State Visit will explore further collaboration and partnerships the two nations can leverage on to solidify existing diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations.
It is further anticipated that several Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding will be signed during the State Visit, focusing on socio-economic cooperation which both sides will ensure implementation that yields results for both our peoples. South Africa and China will also co-host China-Africa Leader’s Roundtable scheduled on 24 August, and also engage on cooperation at multilateral level, particularly at the FOCAC.
Besides, he said south Africa acknowledges the support of China on bilateral technical cooperation under the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in addressing South Africa’s domestic imperatives.
Magwenya said South Africa will seek to enhance multilateral cooperation, specifically within the context of BRICS, the G77 plus China, and the G20 and to seek Chinese support for South Africa and Africa’s call for the reform of global governance institutions, notably the United Nations Security Council.
He disclosed that the meeting will also highlight the importance of sustainable foreign direct investment through supporting manufacturing, infrastructure, and beneficiation and encourage close private sector engagement from both countries.
The two sides are also expected to exchange views on regional issues in support of development, peace, and security.
