SA-China co-operation grows

The full story of the co-operation between Africa and China has not yet been told.

This statement echoed through the National Botanical Gardens in Pretoria on Friday night, where the National Press Club and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in South Africa hosted a discussion event focusing on the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation Summit, which took place in Beijing from September 4 to 7.

With 51 African heads of state in attendance, it was the largest diplomatic event China had hosted in recent years.

Under the Pretoria night sky, Chinese ambassador Wu Peng said that during the summit, China established or elevated strategic partnerships with 30 African nations. This means China now has strategic partnerships with all African countries with which it has diplomatic ties.

It also emerged China would provide financial support of 360 billion yuan (R895bn) of investment by Chinese enterprises in Africa, to implement the “Ten Partnership Actions”.

Before the summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping announced the elevation of China-South Africa relations to an all-round strategic co-operative partnership in the new era.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of agreements on co-operation in areas such as the BeiDou satellite navigation system, housing and human settlements, bilateral trade, agricultural market access, and cultural heritage.

However, these initiatives need to move to implementation phase as soon as possible, and Cabinet ministers in charge of those portfolios held accountable should nothing come out of these agreements.

There is a lot that Africa can learn from China. For instance, it is not by accident that China provides electricity to a population almost twice that of South Africa and ensures their mobility and safety, or that Chinese products are on sale at almost every section of the Mother continent.

China and Africa can and should help build an all-weather pact with a shared future for the next era. Indeed, the story of China and Africa must be told for many generations to come.

Pretoria News