Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to meet on Thursday, where efforts to create jobs, fight poverty and end inequality will take centre stage.
President Zuma is in Beijing on a State visit, which will see the signing of four agreements in agriculture. The agreements are set to help South Africa unlock its potential to create jobs.
The two-day visit will also see the President - who is accompanied by eight Cabinet Ministers and several local business people - addressing the South Africa-China Business Forum and a public lecture in honour of late former President Nelson Mandela.
The aim of the State visit, according to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, is to review the status of bilateral relations and to ensure that the strategic relationship that exists is further strengthened, focusing on the priority issues of development in South Africa and Africa.
The visit will also see the adoption of the China-South Africa 5-10 Year Framework on Cooperation that will further entrench the implementation of agreements entered into since the conclusion of the Beijing Declaration in 2010 and expand on the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
South Africa and China share a sound political and economic relationship and are working well as BRICS partners.
China, on the other hand, regards South Africa as a key partner in advancing its relations with the African continent.
While the two countries are strikingly different in their cultural, political and socio-economic orientation, they are very close in the positions they take on key issues affecting mankind.
Both appreciate the importance of strengthening cooperation on the basis of respect for each other’s core values and interests.
Dissimilarities in orientation between China and South Africa have not hampered cooperation and the development of warm, friendly and mutually beneficial ties between the two countries.
China's total trade with South Africa increased from approximately R190 billion to R270 billion in 2013 and is rapidly approaching R300 billion
Both countries also work together in the G20 and share the same view on the transformation of multilateral institutions. - SAnews.gov.za
