South Africa and China will discuss how to boost bilateral trade
and investment and to work more closely in international affairs
ranging from Africa's development to non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visits the country next
week, a South African official said on Tuesday.
South African President Thabo Mbeki and Wen are expected to
co-sign an agreement on deepening the strategic partnership between
the two countries during Wen's visit on June 21-22 in Cape Town,
Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said in Pretoria.
The agreement is considered a further step for South Africa,
Africa's leading economic and political player, and China, one of
the fast-growing economies in the world, to consolidate bilateral
ties officially forged in 1998.
"A review of bilateral political and economic relations between
the two countries, including the promotion of trade and investment,
is high on the agenda of the meeting (between Mbeki and Wen),"
Pahad told a media briefing.
Wen's visit to South Africa, part of his seven-nation tour to
Africa, takes place against the backdrop of China's increasing
presence in the world's poorest continent with huge potentials for
development.
"China has considered South Africa a strategic partner in its
endeavor to strengthen and consolidate its historical relations
with Africa," said Pahad.
China is to host the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation summit in
November this year to discuss with African leaders, including
Mbeki, on how to promote their traditional friendship into mutually
beneficial cooperation.
Pahad said Mbeki and Wen would look at preparations for the
summit during the meeting.
Bilateral trade on high agenda
During his visit, Wen will lead a Chinese business delegation to
join a business cooperation forum together with South African
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, which Pahad said will help
create interactions between Chinese and South African business
people.
Pahad said that China's experiences in socio-economic
development, poverty eradication and job creation could be valuable
and useful for South Africa and other African countries.
China now is South Africa's second largest import trading
partner and the eighth largest export partner, with both imports
and exports growing 30 percent in 2005 compared to 2004, Pahad
said.
But South Africa has expressed its concern over trade imbalance
in favor of China. In 2005, imports from China totaled 31.476
billion rand (US$4.84 billion), while exports came to 8.76 billion
rand (US$1.35 billion).
Much more need to be done to address the imbalance in
investment, as Chinese investments into South Africa amounts to
US$130 million while South African investments in China amount to
US$400 million, Pahad said.
Common interest in international affairs
Pahad said topics of the meeting between Mbeki and Wen would
include nuclear issues on the Korean Peninsula and Iran, since
China, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security
Council, plays a key role in non-proliferation and the use of
nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The leaders are also expected to discuss the forthcoming summit
of Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, to be hosted in
Russia next month.
Both South Africa and China, in addition to Mexico and Brazil,
will be participating in the summit as "Strategic Outreach
Partners" of the G8 to discuss international energy security,
climate change, prevention of communicable diseases and education
development, Pahad said.
The leaders will review the progress of the one-year-old New
Africa Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP), which aims to boost
Africa-Asia economic relations through increased foreign direct
investment, market access and trade to tackle common challenges of
poverty and underdevelopment.
Mbeki and Wen will also discuss issues concerning South-South
cooperation under the framework of G-77 plus China, as well as the
World Trade Organization negotiations.
"Both South Africa and China have synergistic views on
strengthening of the international trading and financial system,"
Pahad said.
(Xinhua News Agency June 14, 2006)
