PRETORIA, Aug 23 (NNN-SANEWS) — President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to undertake a State Visit to the People’s Republic of China on Sept 2-5, to further strengthen diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries.
This visit follows President Xi Jinping’s fourth State Visit to South Africa in August 2023.
China is South Africa’s largest trading partner with bilateral trade standing at US$34 billion in 2023, made up of exports totalling US$12 billion and imports at US$22 billion.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said China had also been a major contributor to South Africa’s investment drive and is the country’s largest source of foreign direct investment.
“A number of important agreements are expected to be concluded during the State Visit, including a Framework Agreement on Development Cooperation, the trade balance and market access expansion,” Ntshavheni said during a media briefing to outline the outcomes of Cabinet’s meeting on Wednesday.
A South African delegation will also participate in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which will take place on Sept 4-6.
FOCAC is multilateral coordination mechanism between Chinese and African countries, and it is viewed as a cooperation platform within the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative which is China’s global infrastructure development strategy. — NNN-SANEWS
