FruitfulCooperation
PresidentXiJinping鈥檚statevisittoSouthAfricaonJuly24,2018,adaypriortothe10thBRICSSummitwhichtookplacefromJuly25to27inJohannesburg,wasagreatsuccess.Duringthestatevisit,thetwosidesdiscussedmeasurestostrengthenbilateraltrade,investment,andcommercialrelations,andincreaseanddiversifySouthAfricanexportstoChina,aswellaswaystopromoteforeigndirectinvestmentbyChinesecompaniesinSouthAfrica.Thetwocountriesalsoreachedconsensusonenhancingcooperationatinternationalforums,especiallywithinthecontextofBRICS,FOCAC,andtheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil.Atotalof14agreementsandMoUsinvolvingUS$14billionweresignedduringthestatevisit.
Ontheinvestmentfront,PresidentRamaphosasuggestedChinatoleadtheflowofinternationalinvestorswhenSouthAfricahoststheInvestmentConferenceinOctober2018,whichaimstogenerateatleastUS$100billioninnewinvestmentsinSouthAfricaoverthenextfiveyears.Ontheotherhand,SouthAfricawillparticipateintheChinaInternationalImportExposcheduledtotakeplaceinNovemberinShanghai.
Thebilateraltradevolumehasnoticeablyincreasedoverthepastseveralyears.However,mostoftheexportsfromSouthAfricaarerawmaterials.Therefore,thetwopresidentsagreedthatSouthAfricaandChinawouldplacemoreemphasisontheimportanceoffacilitatinginvestmentwithregardtogreatervalue-addition,andidentifynewareasofmarketopportunitiesinChina.
China-SouthAfricarelationsareshowinggreatmomentum.However,theyalsoneedtobefurtherstrengthenedthroughhigh-levelexchangessoastodeepenmutualpoliticaltrust.Thetwosidesshouldsupporteachotherinindependentlychoosingthedevelopmentpaththatsuitstheirownnationalconditions.Thereisaneedtocontinuetounderstandandsupporteachotheronissuesinvolvingrespectivecoreinterestsandmajorconcerns,increaseexchangesbetweenthegovernments,legislativebodies,variousotherareas,anddeepentheinterpartyexchangesandcooperation.
People-to-peoplebondscanbedeepenedbyimplementingtheconsensusthetwosideshavereachedonfacilitatingpersonnelexchanges,andstrengtheningculturalandeducationalexchanges.Theyshouldalsoconsolidatecooperationinhumanresourcesdevelopmentandtourism.
Moreover,thetwosidesneedtoincreasecoordinationwithinmultilateralframeworksincludingtheUN,G20,andtheBRICS,jointlysafeguardmultilateralism,opposeunilateralismandprotectionism,andpromoteamorejustandequitableinternationalorder.LocalstudentsexercisetaijiwiththeirChineseteacherattheConfuciusInstituteoftheUniversityofJohannesburgonJuly24,2018.PromisingProspects
AttheFOCACBeijingSummit,allsideswerefullofexpectations.HeadsofstatefromChinaandAfricancountriestalkedabouthowtoaligntheBeltandRoadInitiative(BRI)withthenationalstrategiesofAfricancountriesandthe2063AgendaoftheAfricanUnion.TheBeltandRoadInitiative,regardedasbeingbyfarthemostsignificantandfar-reachingprojectChinahaseverembarkedon,ispromisingmoreopportunitiestoAfricancountries.TheneedforconnectiveinfrastructureinAfricaisevident.Withoutroadstotransportconstructionequipmentorelectricitytopowermanufacturingfactories,contractors鈥檖rojects,whichoriginallyhadbighopes,oftendonotmaterialize.
TheBRIoffersanopportunitytodeepenSino-AfricanrelationsandshouldbeexploredfurtherbytheleadershipofbothChinaandAfrica.TheBRIdovetailswithAfrica鈥檚ownAgenda2063,aninitiativedesignedtofasttracktheimplementationofsolutionsoncriticaldevelopmentissues,suchaspoverty,unemployment,andinequality.
ItisafactthatChinaisacountrywithexcessivesavingsandinfrastructurecapacitywhereastheAfricancontinentinaggregaterelativelylacksboth.Inthisregard,theBRIrepresentsanagendathatbroadlyseekstotake鈥渨in-win鈥漚dvantageofthatcomplementarity.
ThesuccessfulimplementationoftheBRIthroughouttheAfricancontinentwillhavetheaddedeffectofimprovingintraAfricatrade.Currentlystandingatabout10-15percent,tradeamongAfricancountriesisthelowestcomparedtoalltheothercontinents(NorthAmericahas40percentwhileEuropehas60percentintra-regionaltrade).ThemultipliereffectthishaswoulddefinitelypropelAfricaontothegrowthpath.ThroughoutAfrica,Chinesecompaniesarebuildingvitalinfrastructure;includingdams,ports,androads,andhelpingtorenovategovernmentofficesandotherbuildings.
FacilitatedbytheFOCACmechanism,significantprogresshasbeenmadeincooperationprogramsbe-tweenChinaandAfricancountriesinareassuchasagriculturemodernization,publichealth,facilitationoftradeandinvestment,people鈥檚livelihood,aswellasindustrializationandinfrastructure.ChinaprovidedUS$60billioninfundingofvariouskindstoAfricancountriesunderthebannerofFOCAC.ThisgavefulleffecttotherealizationofinclusiveandsustainabledevelopmentinAfrica鈥檚economyandsociety.Sofar,economicandtradeinitiativeshavebeengraduallyimplemented,whicheffectivelybringaboutnewdevelopmentsinpracticalcooperationbetweenChinaandAfrica.
China-AfricancooperationplanshavenotonlypromotedtheimprovementofeconomicandsocialdevelopmentinAfricaandthelevelofpeople鈥檚livingstandards,buthavealsoledtostableandhealthydevelopmentofChina-Africaeconomicandtraderelations.In2017,China-AfricantradevolumereachedUS$170billion,up14percentover2016.
ChinahasmaintaineditspositionasAfrica鈥檚largesttradingpartnerforthepastnineconsecutiveyears.China鈥檚directinvestmentflowinAfricareachedUS$3.1billionin2017.Theinvestmentstructurehasbeencontinuouslyoptimizedandthequalityofinvestmenthassteadilyimproved.WebelievethatattheFOCACBeijingSummit,relationsbetweenAfricaandChinawillbefurtherstrengthenedandsolidified.
DOLANAMSIMANGisSouthAfricanAmbassadortoChina.