Senior South African government officials, academics, local and international media, and diplomats converged at the embassy of China in Pretoria on Thursday as Ambassador Wu Peng hosted a grand reception to celebrate the milestone 75 years of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
National Day of the People's Republic of China is the largest civic holiday in China. It is celebrated annually on October 1 across the People’s Republic of China.
At the embassy event on Thursday, Ambassador Wu Peng said the celebration of the 75 years of the founding of the People’s Republic of China coincides with the strong momentum of China and South Africa in expanding mutually beneficial cooperation.
“In the first half of this year, China imported US$17.3 billion of goods from South Africa, a year-on-year increase of 10.7 percent. More than 200 Chinese companies have invested or started businesses in South Africa, creating over 400,000 local jobs,” said Wu.
During President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent State Visit to China, Ramaphosa and President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of documents on bilateral trade, cooperation on foot-and-mouth disease prevention and control, export of South African dairy products and greasy wool to China, human settlement, and scientific and technological cooperation.
“President Ramaphosa visited tech companies such as BYD and Huawei in China’s Shenzhen. When he took an electric car for a test ride, he said, ‘I want it in South Africa!’. I believe he means some day EVs (electric vehicles) will be made in South Africa,” said Wu.
The South African government delegation was led by Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi and Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga. Former minister of international relations and cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, former social development minister Lindiwe Zulu and treasurer-general of the African National Congress (ANC), Dr Gwen Ramokgopa attended the grand reception.
He said China is ready to further optimise the bilateral trade structure with South Africa, increase market access and expand the export of high value-added products from South Africa.
“We are ready to encourage more Chinese companies to invest and start businesses in South Africa, especially to strengthen cooperation in emerging fields such as digital economy, new energy, and AI (artificial intelligence), so as to elevate the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries to greater heights,” said Wu.
He said the past 75 years have witnessed huge changes for China, and the elevated China-South Africa relations.
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to friends from all communities who have long cared about and supported China’s development and China-South Africa relations. I also wish to extend festive greetings to all fellow Chinese working, studying and living in South Africa,” he said.
“The past 75 years have witnessed huge changes for China. The Communist Party of China united and led Chinese people of all ethnic groups to work diligently down the path of Chinese modernisation, and together achieved rapid economic development and long-term social stability.”
He said in 1949, China’s per capita national income was only $27 dollars. The Asian country’s economic output was less than five percent of the world’s total.
“In 2023, China’s per capita national income reached $13,000 dollars and our economic output reached 17 percent of the world’s total. In the first half of this year, China’s GDP grew by five percent, and our foreign trade grew by 6.1 percent. Seventy years ago, China could not produce a single car. Watches, bicycles, and sewing machines, nicknamed ‘the big three’ were all luxury items for quite a long time for the Chinese people,” he said.
By 2023, China’s automobile production and sales both exceeded 30 million vehicles, and China’s “new big three” products, namely electric vehicles, lithium batteries and solar cells combined, surpassed the milestone of one trillion Yuan in the value of total exports.
“At the beginning of the founding of new China, 80 percent of the population were illiterate. By 2023, the average years of education for China’s new labour force was over 14 years. Each year, over 10 million students graduate from college in China,” said Wu.
He said holistic arrangements for further deepening reforms and promoting Chinese modernisation, were made at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, and more than 300 reform measures were proposed.
“A China that enjoys high-quality development and high-level opening up will bring more opportunities to countries around the world. We, Chinese people will never take the wrong path of seeking hegemony when one becomes strong. We just want to enjoy a better life for our own,” he said.
Touching on the recently-held Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) hosted in Beijing this month, Wu said the event was a great success.
Chinese and African leaders unanimously agreed to elevate the overall positioning of China-Africa relations to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, highlighting the mutual strategic importance of China and Africa to each other. President Xi Jinping announced a six-point proposal on China and Africa’s joint pursuit of modernization and Ten Partnership Actions for the next three years,” he said.
“The Chinese government will provide financial support on this front, which will inject new and strong impetus into deepening China-Africa cooperation and leading the modernisation of the Global South.”
He said China adheres to the path of peaceful development and regards building a community with a shared future for mankind as the lofty goal of China’s diplomacy with Chinese characteristics for the new era.
“As a diplomat who has long been engaged in African affairs, I am privileged to be the Chinese Ambassador to South Africa during this significant phase in the rapid advancement of China-South Africa relations,” said Wu.
“I am particularly pleased that I accompanied President Cyril Ramaphosa during His Excellency’s attendance at this FOCAC Summit and State Visit to China earlier this month. Today, I see many South African colleagues who worked side by side with us as part of the delegation are also here. I would like to express my respect to all of you.”
Through this visit, Wu said he has witnessed the strong political will of China and South Africa to deepen strategic mutual trust.
Our two heads of State maintain close exchanges and communication and provide strong guidance to the development of bilateral relations.
“The two sides agreed to continue to firmly support each other on issues of core interests and major concerns. Particularly, the South African government reiterated its adherence to the one-China policy,” said Wu.
He said even though China and South Africa are separated by oceans, the friendship of the nations’ people goes back a long way and is getting stronger over time.
“When Cape Town suffered from storms and down-pours, we handed over some relief supplies to local community residents. I held a send-off event for South African athletes who were about to compete in the Climbing Youth World Championships in China’s Guiyang,” he said.
“I also visited the Chinese Navy’s Peace Ark hospital ship, which came to South Africa for the first time, and provided free medical services to 3,700 South Africans. At the opening ceremony of this year’s FOCAC Summit, Chinese children sang the theme song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa “Waka Waka”. This once again reflected the enduring goodwill between our two peoples.
IOL