Pretoria – The Republic of China has agreed to increase short-term skills development programmes for South Africa to reduce the skills gap.
“China will gradually increase the training opportunities for South Africa and will provide training for 2 000 South Africans from the year 2015 through to 2020,” Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a media briefing about President Jacob Zuma’s recent State visit to China, Minister Nkoana-Mashabane declared the visit a success.
She briefed the media on the many agreements signed by the two countries.
“As part of the industrialisation process, China agreed to South Africa’s request to assist in the creation of black industrialists who will participate in the mainstream economy,” Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She said China had committed to support South Africa’s industrialisation agenda by agreeing to assist in the development of Science and Technology and Industrial Parks, as well as key areas such as the Ocean Economy.
South Africa’s ocean economy has the potential to contribute up to R177 billion to the GDP and create just over one million jobs by 2033.
“China has committed to support the establishment of Railway Parks in South Africa, which is linked to the localisation of railway carriage manufacturing processes to facilitate Inward Buying Missions into South Africa starting early in 2015,” Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.
Chinese companies will also be encouraged to invest in the Special Economic Zones.
During the State visit, the two governments adopted the China-South Africa Five- to Ten-Year Framework on Cooperation with the objective of furthering and entrenching the implementation of agreements since the conclusion of the Beijing Declaration in 2010.
Other agreements signed during the visit were the agreement on Minutes to Further Improve Economic Cooperation in Trade and Investment, an Action Plan on Agriculture Cooperation between the Republic of South Africa and the People’s Republic of China (2014-2016).
Other agreements include the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements (the control of plant diseases) for the Export of Maize from South Africa to China, Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Apple Fruit from South Africa to China and the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Dates from China to South Africa.
“In terms of these protocols or agreements, China has agreed to expedite market access negotiations for the export of South African fresh produce to China, for example maize and apple fruit,” Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said.
She said the countries also concluded agreements and MoUs on collaboration in human resource and capacity development, and soliciting support for South Africa’s industrial planning to improve beneficiation and value addition with respect to raw materials. – SAnews.gov.za
