Chinese president on State Visit in Tshwane
The country’s First Citizen is hosting President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, on a State Visit on Tuesday, August 22 at the Union Buildings in Tshwane.
It is President Xi’s fourth Official Visit to South Africa after five years. The two leaders are also expected to headline the ongoing BRICS Summit taking place in Sandton.
Diplomatic relations between South Africa and the Asian powerhouse span some 25 years with cooperation in several sectors including trade and investment, energy and tourism.
The President highlighted that China’s development plan for its people, particularly in tackling poverty, has borne significant fruit – a feat that South Africa can learn from.
“South Africa has a great deal to learn from China’s development path. Among other achievements, China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty over a 40 year period. According to World Bank data, through this China has contributed close to three quarters of the global reduction in the number of people living in extreme poverty.
“South Africa is eager to deepen its collaboration within the frameworks of China’s common prosperity doctrine and strategy and our own National Development Plan and Economic Reconstruction and Development Plan. South Africa is also keen to harness the developmental potential of China’s Belt and Road Initiative announced by President Xi in 2013.
“We are actively collaborating on the design and implementation of poverty alleviation strategies aligned with our respective developmental visions, as well as on women and youth empowerment,” President Ramaphosa said.
