South Africa: Mbeki, Jintao to Discuss Wide Range of Issues

Source from:  BuaNews (Tshwane) January 26, 2007 01/30/2007

President Thabo Mbeki will hold discussions next week with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao with to further strengthening the existing trade and political relations between their countries. The presidents will sign at least seven agreements to strengthen relations, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad told reporters this week. These include: * Protocol on Phyto-Sanitary Requirements for the export of pear fruit from China to South Africa; * Protocol on Phyto-Sanitary Requirements for export of table grapes from South Africa to China; * Protocol on Phyto-Sanitary Requirements for the export of apple fruit from China to South Africa; * Protocol on Phyto-Sanitary Requirements for the export of tobacco-leaf from China to South Africa; * Agreement between on co-operation in the minerals and energy sector; * Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the establishment of the South Africa-China Minerals and Energy Sectoral Co-operation Committee; * Agreement on economic and technical co-operation. President Mbeki and President Hu will also discuss global matters since South Africa has assumed a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). "We will have to discuss our common approach to many of the issues that will arise during the next few months - on the African continent, Kosovo, the Middle East. "But most importantly we want to discuss the broader political issues and how to implement the economic agreements to give concrete expression to the commitments undertaken by the Chinese government at the Forum for China Africa Co-operation (FOCAC)," explained Mr Pahad, adding that discussions would be political and economic. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998, trade between China and South Africa has grown significantly, with China becoming South Africa's second largest import trading partner in 2005, comprising 9 percent of total imports and the eighth largest export partner, comprising 3 percent of total exports from South Africa. While both imports and exports grew 30 percent in 2005 compared to 2004, China still enjoys a massive trade surplus with SA. In 2005 imports from China totalled R31, 476 billion, while exports came to R8,763 billion, he explained, highlighting the sizeable trade imbalance in favour of China in bilateral trade. Mr Hu's visit to South Africa is part of eight-nation tour of Africa that includes Liberia, Sudan, Cameroon, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Seychelles and South Africa to forge a strategic partnership between China and Africa. It was preceded by a visit in June last year by Premier Wen Jiaboa when he and President Mbeki held discussions. The two sides then reviewed the principles guiding the bilateral relationship set out in the Pretoria Declaration on the Partnership between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa in 2000 and the strategic partnership established by the two countries in 2004, Mr Pahad explained. Mr Hu is scheduled to arrive in the country on Tuesday 30 January and depart on Thursday. His broader African visit focuses on strengthening a Strategic Partnership with Africa that will focus on three main areas of co-operation - political solidarity, economic co-operation and socio-cultural co-operation. In that regard Mr Pahad emphasised that it was important to harmonise, synchronise and align FOCAC with the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and to leverage FOCAC to the benefit of NEPAD especially since much of China's activities in Africa were conducted under the FOCAC. "China's increased engagement with the continent presents an opportunity for a valuable contribution to Africa's growth and development. "A positive pro-active approach on the relationship between China and Africa needs to be developed and implemented, in order to harness resources and focus activities towards meaningful deliverables that would serve primarily the interests of Africa," he added. He said at the November 2006 FOCAC Beijing Declaration, China and Africa committed themselves "Properly (to) handle issues and challenges that may arise in the course of co-operation through friendly consultation in keeping with China-Africa friendship and the long-term interests of the two sides." China's development has created a growing export market for Africa with China-Africa trade volume reaching US$ 39.8 billion in 2005, US$ 21.1 billion of which comprise imports from Africa. China's total investment in Africa reached US$ 6.27 billion. Enditem