On behalf of the government and people of the
We thank our hosts for their warmth and the excellent facilities that have been put at our disposal during our stay.
This visit has come at a most opportune time. We are marking 12 years of China-South Africa relations. We have just hosted the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup tournament, and are participating in the successful Shanghai Expo.
All these have helped to market
We have now concluded the tour to all countries within the emerging
We have concluded a state visit to
Since the establishment of the formal diplomatic relations with
During this visit we signed one agreement and six memoranda of understanding, aimed at further strengthening ties and to implement areas of cooperation.
The highlight of the visit has been the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership declaration, covering many facets of the South Africa-China bilateral relationship. A key element of this expanded Partnership is the Partnership for Growth and Development, focusing on key issues such as beneficiation and value addition to resources, infrastructure, market access and trade to the SADC region and
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership will guide
- Balancing the current structure of trade between the two countries;
- Increasing investment in South Africa's manufacturing industry and promoting the creation of value-adding activities in close proximity to the source of the raw materials, and;
- Cooperation and mutual technical support in the areas of the green economy, skills development and industrial financing.
It provides a comprehensive framework on which to base our relations and to implement undertakings and objectives.
We welcome the fact that
We have emphasized during this visit that
In taking these intentions forward, we brought a delegation of more than 350 businesspeople to
We reiterate that
We envisage meaningful future co-operation in infrastructure, the beneficiation of minerals, engineering, energy, information and communications technology and electronics.
We have also agreed on cooperation on new areas of energy conservation, adaptation in the context of Sino-Africa Climate Change cooperation, the
Before concluding let me express our sincere condolences for the loss of lives due to the mudslides and floods in this country. We also learned with shock and regret about the hostage drama in the
Let me once again extend our gratitude to our hosts for the excellent arrangements, and for ensuring a successful visit. We will today proceed to
I Thank You!