Foreign and Military Affairs

S. African leader to visit China

By Zhang Chunyan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-23 08:14

South Africa will sign a comprehensive, strategic partnership agreement and several cooperation deals with China when President Jacob Zuma pays a state visit to the country this week.

Zuma's visit from August 23 to 26 will strengthen and broaden economic and commercial interactions between the two countries, South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRC) said in a statement.

"China has become the largest export destination of South Africa since the start of 2009," Yang Lihua, expert on African studies in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told China Daily on Sunday.

During the visit, a series of strategic partnerships in the fields of geology, mineral resources, and environmental management as well as transportation and railway infrastructure are expected to be signed.

President Zuma will be accompanied by a group of senior ministers and a delegation of more than 200 leading South African businessmen and entrepreneurs. A business seminar between the two countries will also be held in Beijing.

China has taken significant steps in helping some African countries develop their export industries, Yang said, in addition to the overall investment projects in Africa that have seen a steady increase.

South Africa's trade relations with China also expanded dramatically since the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 1998. As China's foreign ministry has said, China's imports from South Africa are dominated by iron ore, as well as diamonds and rolled steel. South Africa's leading imports from China are electrical machinery and electronic equipment, hi-tech products, dress and apparel accessories, yarn and shoes.

McKinsey, a business consultancy firm, suggested recently that China has a dynamic role in Africa. "Many Africans welcome the involvement of China, not only because of the scale of its resources and commitments, but also because it has credibility," it said in a report.

"The Chinese see themselves as a developing country, a view shared by many Africans".

Zuma's visit to China will round out his tour of the BRIC emerging economies - Brazil, Russia, India and China - where he has urged partnerships, trade and investment since he took office in May, 2009.

"South Africa attached great importance to cooperation with big emerging economies, especially after the global financial crisis," said Yang.

On August 26, President Zuma will visit Shanghai to view the South African Pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo.

Gu Tian contributed to the story.