SOUTH AFRICA-CHINA RELATIONS

Furthermore, we congratulate the People's Republic of China for hosting the South African year with great success in the course of 2014. During that year-long event the ties between our two countries reached the highest level of closeness and maturity, as we witness significant improvements in people-to-people cultural exchanges, learning exchanges, tourism, trade, investment, as well as other key aspects of our international relations and co-operation.

In 2015, as South Africa we are hosting the China Year. The China year has been celebrated in major cities across all the nine provinces of South Africa, whereby events were held that showcase China's development journey and its achievements as well as the fruitful results of China-South Africa co-operation.

The hosting of both the South African-Year in China last year and the China-Year in South Africa this year symbolise strength of the ties and maturity of mutual co-operation between our two countries. This builds on the long-term solidary and support that the People's Republic of China provided during the fight against Apartheid colonialism and the subsequent formal diplomatic ties that were establish since the dawn of our democracy and freedom that was attained in 1994.

Last year on 4 to 5 December I had a privilege of being hosted by President Xi Jinping on our State Visit to China, which was a follow-up to the State Visit that President Jinping paid South Africa from 25 to 26 March 2013. During that Visit our two governments adopted the China-South Africa Five-10 Year Framework on Cooperation with the objective of furthering and entrenching the implementation of agreements since the conclusion of the Beijing Declaration in 2010.

Since 2009, China became the largest single trading partner with South Africa and the two governments are working hard to attain a more equitable and mutual trade balance that will be beneficial for the further development of the two countries.

Our National Development Plan and Vision 2030 envisions a better South Africa free of the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment and we congratulate the immense contribution that the People's Republic of China is making to enhance our development trajectory via its businesses, public agencies, think tanks, civil society, academia, among others. In terms of that long-term plan we also aspire to contribute to a better African continent that has overcome most of the current challenges that we are facing.

We therefore congratulate China for its active partnership, support and leadership in terms of the drive towards building a more equitable global environment in the multilateral bodies like the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and similar bodies. In platforms like the BRICS and BASIC we are able to present a united force to eradicate under-development in our respective continents and promote south-south co-operation more broadly.

CONCLUSION

Lastly, I congratulate the People's Republic of China for its massive investment and cooperation with Africa in many other areas such as science and technology, cultural exchanges, environment, social development and economic co-operation. I therefore urge the media principals from the press, television, radio, news agencies, and new media to take this splendid opportunity to establish Win-Win Solutions through the new-type Sino-Africa Strategic Partnership.

China, Africa – including South Africa – have shown the resilience and the will to rise above adversities. Creating an enabling environment for the media to operate will lead to mutual understanding of each other's roles.

I warmly congratulate the convenors and participants of this event and hereby extend the sincerest wish that your deliberations will prove fruitful.