Joint statement of People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of South Africa on establishing an all-round strategic partnership in the new era (full text)
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 2nd
Joint statement of People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of South Africa on establishing an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era
At the invitation of the Supreme Leader of President People’s Republic of China (PRC), President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa paid a state visit to People’s Republic of China (PRC) on September 2, 2024.
During the visit, the two heads of state held talks in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and exchanged in-depth views on the further development of China-South Africa and China-Africa relations and international and regional issues of common concern under the new situation.
The two sides stated that cherishing the enduring special friendship between the two sides will accelerate the construction of a high-level community of destiny between China and South Africa. In order to further inherit friendship, consolidate mutual trust, expand cooperation and strengthen cooperation, the two heads of state unanimously decided to upgrade bilateral relations to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, promote trade balance, accelerate economic transformation and growth and achieve common prosperity on the basis of solid political mutual trust. The two heads of state reached a series of important consensuses.
First, accelerate the construction of a high-level community of destiny between China and South Africa.
(1) The two sides spoke highly of the leap-forward development of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties 26 years ago, and appreciated that the fourth state visit of the Supreme Leader to South Africa in August 2023 led to the "golden age" of bilateral relations and made considerable progress in cooperation in various fields. Under the new situation, the global significance and strategic influence of the relationship between the two countries have been continuously enhanced, and it has become a model of unity, cooperation and joint development between large developing countries and countries in the "global South".
(2) China congratulates President Ramaphosa on his re-election. It is believed that under the leadership of President Ramaphosa, the South African government of national unity will achieve greater success in building a United, just, equal and prosperous country in accordance with the National Development Plan 2030, and maintain an independent and non-aligned foreign policy on the basis of the principle of progressive internationalism. South Africa warmly congratulates People’s Republic of China (PRC) on its 75th anniversary, positively evaluates the development achievements made by people of all ethnic groups in China led by the Communist Party of China (CPC), and wishes China to build itself into a powerful socialist modernization country in an all-round way and achieve the goal of the second century.
（三）双方将进一步发挥元首外交的战略引领作用，落实两国元首重要共识，发挥各层级结构性交流机制作用，促进互利合作。双方鼓励密切政府、立法机构、地方等各领域各层级交往，持续深化治国理政经验交流互鉴。
（四）中方坚定支持南非自主选择的民族团结政策和经济社会发展道路，尊重和支持南非政府为维护国家利益、促进经济发展和改善民生所作努力。南非政府重申奉行一个中国政策，承认世界上只有一个中国，中华人民共和国政府是代表中国的唯一合法政府，台湾是中国不可分割的一部分。南非支持中国政府为实现国家统一所作努力。
（五）双方认为保障和保护包括发展权在内的人权是全人类共同事业，愿在相互尊重，平等相待，反对在人权问题上政治化、极化、选择性和双重标准的基础上开展人权交流与合作。双方同意反对一切形式的歧视，促进和保护弱势群体，特别是妇女、儿童和残疾人的权利，确保他们平等获得资源。
二、推动共建“一带一路”合作与南非国家发展规划深度对接
(6) The two sides agreed to strengthen the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, continue to implement the China-South Africa Ten-Year Cooperation Strategic Plan (2020-2029), and push the two sides to achieve more substantive results in priority issues in the political, economic and social fields.
7. The two sides are willing to give full play to the mechanisms such as the China-South Africa Joint Working Group and the Joint Economic and Trade Commission, and further expand economic and trade exchanges by optimizing the trade structure, increasing market access and expanding the export of South Africa’s high value-added products.
(8) The two sides encourage their respective industrial and commercial circles to increase two-way investment, increase manufacturing bases near the sources of related raw materials, and promote the transfer of technical skills and create jobs.
(9) The two sides promise to provide a stable, fair and convenient business environment for enterprises of the two countries, and safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of personnel, projects and institutions. The two sides encourage economic and trade delegations to exchange visits and will co-host a new energy investment conference through chambers of commerce and associations of both sides. China is willing to hold a recruitment conference for Chinese-funded enterprises with South Africa to promote local employment and improve people’s livelihood.
10. The two sides believe that working together to promote modernization is the common goal of building a high-level community of destiny between China and South Africa. The two sides will deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as agriculture, health, medicine and infrastructure construction, seize the historic opportunity of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, focus on key areas such as digital economy, new energy and artificial intelligence, promote cooperation in the development of new quality productive forces, and further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of renewable energy, energy storage and transmission and distribution.
(11) China is willing to further share its experience in poverty reduction and rural revitalization with South Africa, build poverty reduction demonstration villages, and provide support for the coordinated development of urban and rural areas in South Africa. The two sides will continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, women, health, youth, education, sports, media, tourism and other humanities.
Third, work together to build an equal and orderly world multipolarization and inclusive economic globalization.
12. South Africa welcomes China’s leading role in the international arena and recognizes that China’s global development initiative, global security initiative and global civilization initiative are aimed at maintaining global peace and security, promoting economic and social development and promoting global governance reform. South Africa believes that China will attach importance to the primacy of the United Nations and the African Union in promoting these initiatives, and be consistent with the principles and programs such as the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s 2063 Agenda. South Africa looks forward to close communication and cooperation with China on bilateral and global issues of common concern, and encourages China to cooperate closely with other big countries in the fields of climate change, conflict prevention and resolution, fair trade and poverty reduction. The two sides welcome and support each other to play a greater role in international affairs, jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and promote global governance in a more just and rational direction.
13. The two sides praised the 70th anniversary of the publication of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence held by China this year. The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence was established at the Bandung Conference in 1955 and has since become the main goal of the Non-Aligned Movement. The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in international affairs and multilateral institutions on the basis of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, jointly safeguard the rights and interests of developing countries and respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core, the just international order based on international law and the basic norms of international relations.
14. The two sides support comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to make it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries among the members of the Security Council, so that they can fully cope with the current global challenges and support emerging countries and developing countries to play a greater role in international affairs, especially in the UN Security Council.
15. The two sides will actively push the issue of development back to the center of the agenda of international cooperation and promote the realization of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China appreciates South Africa’s contribution to the international synergy of convergence and coordinated development, congratulates South Africa on successfully hosting the 15th meeting of BRICS leaders in 2023, and appreciates South Africa’s active role as the presidency to realize the historic expansion of BRICS members. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen coordination and cooperation in the BRICS cooperation mechanism and promote the "Greater BRICS Cooperation" to achieve more pragmatic results.
16. China will fully support South Africa to assume the presidency of the G20 in 2025, congratulate the AU on becoming a full member of the G20, and call on the international community to pay more attention to the priorities of the G20 involving Africa. China is willing to continuously enhance the influence and voice of emerging market countries and developing countries with South Africa, focusing on major issues such as macroeconomic policy coordination, global poverty reduction and development, and reform of international economic and financial institutions, so as to promote a more balanced and stable global economic and financial structure.
17. The two sides will continue to uphold the core values and basic principles of the World Trade Organization, oppose "decoupling", resist unilateralism and protectionism, and call for the reform of the international financial system, improve the development financing of African countries and achieve common prosperity.
18. The two sides appreciated each other’s respective roles on the Russian-Ukrainian issue, welcomed the consensus document issued by China and Brazil on the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, and welcomed the peace mission sent by the African Union. The two sides believe that inclusive dialogue and peaceful negotiations are the only feasible political way to solve the crisis in a lasting way, and call on all parties concerned to abide by the principle of "no spillover from the battlefield, no escalation of the war, and no fire from all sides".
(XIX) The two sides expressed deep concern about the serious humanitarian disaster and spillover effects in the Gaza caused by the current Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and called for the effective implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, the immediate realization of a cease-fire and the resumption of the political settlement process of the Palestinian issue. China appreciates South Africa’s active efforts to activate the role of the international community in the conflict in Gaza, and is willing to jointly promote a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian issue at an early date. South Africa appreciates China’s successful promotion of Palestinian factions to hold internal reconciliation dialogue and sign the Beijing Declaration.
Fourth, promote the opening of a new era of building a high-level community of destiny between China and Africa.
20. The two sides spoke highly of the success of the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue in South Africa in August 2023, and looked forward to the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation fully implementing the "Support for Africa’s Industrialization Initiative", "China’s Plan to Help Africa’s Agricultural Modernization" and "China-Africa Cooperation Plan for Talent Cultivation" proposed by the Chairman of the Supreme Leader.
(21) China appreciates that President Ramaphosa will co-chair the high-level meeting on "Industrialization, Agricultural Modernization and Green Development, the Road to Modernization" with Chinese leaders during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
(22) The two sides agreed to further integrate the outcome of the summit with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2030, thus opening a new chapter in China-Africa relations. The two heads of state expect the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to achieve fruitful results and promote the common development of China and Africa.
(23) The two sides spoke highly of the leading and promoting role played by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in promoting high-quality cooperation between China and Africa since its establishment 24 years ago. The two heads of state wished the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in 2024 a complete success and hoped that the summit would open a new chapter in China-Africa solidarity and cooperation.
24. The two sides called on the international community to support the efforts of African countries to fully implement the Continental Free Trade Agreement and give Africa space to promote integration. The two sides further called on the international community to support the African Union and other regional organizations in their efforts to independently solve African problems (that is, African solutions to African problems) and are willing to strengthen coordination on hot issues in Africa and jointly safeguard peace and security in Africa.
(25) During the state visit, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents, including cooperation in the application field of Beidou satellite navigation system, housing and human settlements construction, deepening bilateral trade cooperation, strengthening exchanges in the field of cultural heritage, foot-and-mouth disease prevention and control cooperation, quarantine and hygiene requirements for South African dairy products exported to China, quarantine and hygiene requirements for South African raw wool exported to China, and scientific and technological cooperation.
26. Both sides agreed that President Ramaphosa’s visit to China was a complete success, which was of great significance to promoting the development of China-South Africa relations and building a high-level community of destiny between China and Africa. President Ramaphosa expressed his heartfelt thanks to Chairman Supreme Leader and the government and people of China for their warm and friendly reception during his visit.