Pretoria - Its all system go for the inaugural session of the South Africa-China High-Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism (PPEM) taking place in Pretoria on Monday.
The session, which starts on Monday until Thursday, will be co-chaired by Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong in Pretoria.
The purpose of the exchange is to deepen mutual understanding between the peoples of South Africa and China, and to enhance people-to-people exchanges and co-operation in areas such as culture, education, communications, health, science and technology, sports, tourism, women affairs and youth.
“The People-to-People Exchange Mechanism will seek to enhance mutual trust, friendship and strategic partnership between the people of both countries.
“On a practical level, it will create opportunities for both peoples to benefit from the sharing of social, cultural and economic capital – across government, academia, business and civil society,” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said on Sunday.
It is expected that several Agreements will be signed during the visit. These include an agreements in the areas of higher education and training, youth, research, arts and culture and communications.
The establishment of the PPEM forms part of the implementation of the recommendations made after the December 2015 State visit, which saw the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by President Xi Jinping and President Jacob Zuma.
South Africa and China share a common developmental agenda based on the principle of internationalism and enjoy strong diplomatic and trade relations.
China is South Africa's biggest trading partner and also the second biggest economy in the world.
The two countries share membership of and participate as partners in numerous international bodies, including BRICS, the Group of 77 + China, G20 and are co-chairs of FOCAC.
South Africa’s bilateral relations with China are guided broadly through mechanisms such as the Beijing Declaration establishing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Bi-National Commission, Joint Inter-Ministerial Working Group on Cooperation (JWG), Strategic Dialogue Mechanism, and the 5-10 Year Strategic Framework on Cooperation signed in 2014. – SAnews.gov.za
