Pacts testify to maturity of ties, growth

They vowed to continue to support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, and "enhance cooperation in international affairs and multilateral institutions".

For its part, China pledged to continue to support South Africa in addressing energy security challenges and expressed support for South Africa's chairmanship of BRICS this year.

South Africa reiterated its firm adherence to the one-China policy, saying that "the Chinese path to modernization offers many lessons", and it applauded China for its leadership role in promoting peaceful global cooperation.

Wu Peng, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's department of African affairs, noted that it is President Xi's fourth state visit to South Africa and the first visit to Africa by China's top leader since the conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last year.

The visit "fully reflects the great importance China attaches to the development of China-South Africa and China-Africa relations", it is a complete success, and it injects fresh momentum into the development of the two countries' comprehensive strategic partnership, he told a media briefing at the Chinese delegation's press center in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of China-South Africa diplomatic relations.

Over the past 25 years, the relationship has realized a great leap forward and it is "increasingly significant in strategic and global contexts", Wu said.

Especially in recent years, China-South Africa relations have entered a "golden era" under the great care and guidance of President Xi and President Ramaphosa, he added.

The two sides will further deepen the synergy of their development strategies, strengthen cooperation in infrastructure construction, energy transformation, poverty reduction and other areas, jointly explore new growth points in cooperation, and adhere to the paths of modernization suited to their own national conditions, Wu said.