China and South Africa Elevate Bilateral Ties to All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership
Beijing, The Gulf Observer: Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the elevation of bilateral relations to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era during a meeting held on Monday in Beijing. The discussions were part of Ramaphosa’s state visit and his participation in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
In his remarks, President Xi emphasized that strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and South Africa aligns with the common expectations of both peoples and the historical trajectory of the Global South’s development. He highlighted the need for high-level strategic mutual trust and underscored the importance of promoting high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.
Xi outlined several key areas for future collaboration, including advancements in the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and new energy. He also called for enhanced exchanges and cooperation in human resource development. Furthermore, Xi reiterated China’s commitment to opening its door wider to African countries and working with South Africa to create new momentum for cooperation, fostering high-quality development of China-Africa relations.
Amidst a complex international landscape, Xi stressed the importance of Global South countries maintaining independence, bolstering unity and cooperation, and jointly upholding international fairness and justice.
President Ramaphosa reciprocated, affirming South Africa’s role as a reliable and trustworthy partner of China. He expressed South Africa’s intent to leverage the new strategic partnership to deepen pragmatic cooperation across various sectors, including economy, trade, investment, infrastructure, new energy, and poverty reduction. Ramaphosa also emphasized the expansion of people-to-people exchanges and educational and cultural collaborations with China.
He acknowledged the substantial benefits derived from FOCAC cooperation and expressed support for the six common understandings on the political settlement of the Ukraine issue, proposed jointly by China and Brazil. Ramaphosa affirmed South Africa’s commitment to enhancing communication and collaboration with China within multilateral frameworks such as BRICS and the G20.
Following the meeting, Xi and Ramaphosa oversaw the signing of several bilateral cooperation agreements, including those related to the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. A joint statement was also issued, formalizing the all-round strategic cooperative partnership.
Prior to their discussions, Xi hosted a welcoming ceremony for Ramaphosa at the Great Hall of the People.
