A 15-year relationship worth celebrating

The ties that bind China and South Africa have gone through an evolution

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa, and next year will be the 20th anniversary of the new South Africa. Great changes have occurred everywhere over the years, but there has been at least one constant: China and South Africa have advanced shoulder to shoulder as the new South Africa has developed.

In the past 15 years there has been a three-stage evolution in the relationship: from partnership to strategic partnership, and to what we enjoy today, a comprehensive strategic partnership in which both countries work together regionally and internationally and at different levels.

Over the years China and South Africa have been friends, partners and brothers who share common goals, support each other and pursue common development.

In March Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to South Africa, during which both sides agreed to make the relationship the "strategic pivot and priority" of each other's foreign policy, highlighting the strategic significance of the ties. The two countries now enjoy the closest of ties, and the following four areas give particular reason for satisfaction:

First, we have broad strategic consensus. South Africa and China are major developing countries enjoying not only profound traditional friendship but also similar perspectives on development, security and international order as well as broad consensus on major international affairs and hotspot issues. Similar strategic goals and broad strategic consensus have brought the two countries closer and laid a solid political foundation for this relationship.

Second, high-level exchanges have become frequent. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, successive leaderships of the two countries have visited each other. The then Chinese president Hu Jintao and President Jacob Zuma met four times last year, and the new Chinese President Xi Jinping visited South Africa on his first overseas trip. Such positive high-level exchanges have been critical in nurturing the relationship and bringing the two countries closer together in so many areas.

Third, we have set up various exchange mechanisms. China and South Africa have established the Bi-National Committee at vice-presidential level, with seven sub-committees on diplomacy, economy and trade, science and technology, defense, education, energy and mineral cooperation. This committee has held four plenary sessions. The two countries have also set up mechanisms such as the regular exchange mechanism between the two parliaments, the strategic dialogue and the joint working group. South Africa is now the African host of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the rotating chair of BRICS. All these communication channels and platforms are strong institutional guarantees that are helping push the relationship to new highs with ever broader prospects.

Fourth, we are reaping the material rewards of working together. China is now South Africa's largest trading partner, and South Africa is China's largest trading partner in Africa. Bilateral trade was worth $59.9 billion last year, 31.8 percent higher than the year before. Two-way investment has also grown. At the end of last year, direct investment from China to South Africa was worth $4.23 billion; direct investment the other way was worth $640 million.

Cross-cultural exchanges have also helped the two peoples get to know one another better. There are now 28 sister provinces/cities pairings, and more than 10 Chinese universities are working closely with South African universities. Five schools in South Africa have Confucius Institutes or Confucius Classrooms. More than 130,000 Chinese tourists visited the country last year, an increase of almost 56 percent compared with the previous year, according to South African figures, making China South Africa's fourth-largest source of overseas tourists.

Today's China-South Africa relationship has gone far beyond the limits of a mere bilateral relationship. It now carries more international influence and can be seen as a model among developing countries. China is ready to keep working with South Africa to ensure that this comprehensive strategic partnership continues to flourish.

The author is Ambassador of China to South Africa. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 06/28/2013 page10)