Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to South Africa fully demonstrates the great importance China attaches to developing China-South Africa and China-Africa relations, and the complete success of this visit has injected fresh impetus into the development of China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The remarks were made by Director-General of the Department of African Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wu Peng, at a press briefing in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During the visit, President Xi held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and they had an in-depth exchange of views on the development of China-South Africa and China-Africa relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest, and reached important common understandings on a number of issues, said Wu.
The two heads of state jointly witnessed the signing of 11 cooperation documents on the Belt and Road Initiative, new energy, agricultural produce, special economic zone, industrial park, scientific and technological innovation, and higher education, Wu noted, adding they also issued a joint statement.
South Africa reaffirmed its firm commitment to the one-China policy, and expressed the view that the Chinese path to modernization has offered South Africa a lot of experience, and that South Africa appreciates China's leading role in promoting global peace and cooperation, while China pledged to continue to support South Africa in meeting energy security challenges and support South Africa's BRICS chairmanship this year, according to Wu.
The two sides will work together to build a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future, continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and further strengthen cooperation in international affairs, he added.
Wu stressed that this year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa. Over the past 25 years, bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development, acquiring increasing strategic significance and global influence. Especially in recent years, under the joint attention and guidance of the two presidents, the China-South Africa relationship has entered a "golden era," he said.
The two heads of state agreed that the key to the strong relations and deep friendship between China and South Africa lies in the fact that the two countries and the two political parties have stood together through thick and thin in their respective pursuit of development and forged deep bonds of "comrades-plus-brothers" friendship, said Wu.
Going forward, the two sides will seek greater synergy between development strategies, step up cooperation in such areas as infrastructure building, energy transition and poverty reduction, jointly explore new growth drivers for cooperation, and firmly pursue the paths to modernization suited to their respective national conditions, he noted.