"As China's ambassador to South Africa who has spent more than five years here, I would like to say that South Africa is a good place to invest," says His Excellency Liu Guijin while receiving an exclusive interview with Frederic Schmilive and Grisel Rovira from Business Week, the US-based worldwide financial magazine On July 12, 2006.

Ambassador Liu Guijin went on with some reasons to support his judgement. One is that South Africa is the biggest economy in Africa. Its GDP last year reached US$240 billion, which is more than a quarter of Africa's total GDP. The market is big. Secondly, SA has got good infrastructure, in African terms at least. It has good airports, good seaports, good highways, and convenient transportation, communication. Thirdly, SA is ruled by law. It has quite well developed legal system to protect business interests. Fourthly, SA is politically stable. It's a democratic society. Fifthly, although SA needs to improve its safety situation, it's not a target of international terrorism, it's not a spot of armed bloody conflicts, and doesn't have big religious problems like in some other countries, so generally speaking it is a peaceful, tranquil, politically stable society. Another reason is that SA is a rich in mineral resources and also human resources. In a word, South Africa is a good place to invest, the ambassador says.

In his interview, ambassador Liu Guijin hails Chinese Premier Wen Jiaobao's historical visit to South Africa last month as highly significant, successful, and fruitful. He also believes investment in South Africa from China will definitely increase in the coming years.