President Cyril Ramaphosa is to undertake a State Visit to the People’s Republic of China from 2-5 September 2024.
The visit, which aims to further strengthen diplomatic and trade relations between the two countries, follows President Xi Jinping’s fourth State Visit to South Africa in August 2023.
China is South Africa’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade standing at US$34 billion in 2023, made up of exports totalling US$12 billion and imports at US$22 billion.
Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said on Thursday that China had also been a major contributor to South Africa’s investment drive and was the country's largest source of foreign direct investment.
“A number of important agreements are expected to be concluded during the State Visit, including a Framework Agreement on Development Cooperation, the trade balance and market access expansion,” Ntshavheni said during a media briefing to outline the outcomes of Cabinet's meeting on Wednesday.
A South African delegation will also participate in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which will take place from 4-6 September 2024.
FOCAC is a multilateral co-ordination mechanism between Chinese and African countries, and is viewed as a co-operation platform within the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, which is China’s global infrastructure development strategy. – SAnews.gov.za
