As South Africa prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping on a State Visit scheduled for next week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has heaped praise on the Asian leader who will also be in South Africa for the BRICS summit.
Mbalula addressed several diplomats, academics, local and international media, and government officials at the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria on Friday at the launch of the book "Xi Jinping and Thriving China-South Africa Relations," penned by renowned academic Prof Paul Zilungisele Tembe.
The book was launched at a seminar hosted by Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, Chen Xiaodong at the embassy in Pretoria.
"Firstly, allow me to pay tribute to President Xi Jinping for his steadfast leadership, together with the collective of the Communist Party of China, on promoting social, political, and economic relations between not only China and South Africa but the whole African continent. I place emphasis on continental Africa because we in South Africa have as our long-standing political resolution that South Africa cannot afford to be an island of success amid a sea of continental poverty," said Mbalula.
"In this regard, we believe that our relations should help support the realisation, among others, of Agenda 2063 to reduce economic marginalisation of Africa’s people. It has been a long journey over the 25 years of South Africa - China relations, and most certainly also over the past 10 years since President Xi Jinping first undertook his visit to South Africa," he said.
Mbalula said the relationship between South Africa and China has been immensely mutually beneficial.
"Trade saw an increase from less than R1 billion in 1998 to over R544 billion by 2021. Many in South Africa are very familiar with Chinese trading malls around the country, which have opened up, among others, affordable electronics for various household uses.
"These Chinese trading malls employ a significant number of people, helping reduce our high unemployment figures," he said.
The former cabinet minister said it would be important for South Africa to explore how to build South African trading centres in China in a bid to promote South African manufacturing and services.
"Historically, South Africa has been reliant on mineral resources to boost our economy. Part of the areas wherein China could look into investing is in mineral exploration, as we aim to capture at least 5% of global exploration funds in the intermediate term. Linked to that, as expressed recently by President Cyril Ramaphosa, we no longer want to export just raw minerals. Instead, we want to have our minerals beneficiated here in South Africa as part of our industrialisation drive.
"That’s another area China could look into, and that is mineral beneficiation. As I conclude, allow me to thank you once more for inviting us to this important event. We also thank you for having invited us on several occasions over the years to share our political experiences on a party-to-party basis, the most recent being the June visit two months ago,“ said Mbalula.
On Thursday, Mtho Xulu, president of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry remarked that South Africa should improve its industrialisation and manufacturing capacity in a bid to balance the trade deficit in its massive trade relationship with China, the second-biggest economy in the world.
Both countries are members of the trailblazing BRICS bloc of emerging economies, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
The BRICS bloc is in the limelight ahead of the 15th Summit to be hosted at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, from Tuesday to Thursday next week under the theme: "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism".
On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa will host Chinese President Xi Jinping on a State Visit at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
Despite the negativity channelled towards the two nations’ increasingly close ties, Xulu said South Africa is scoring big from the mutually beneficial relationship with Beijing.
"Well, we are benefiting from the fact that we are selling (minerals to China). There is income coming from that country. What China has been able to do is create an industry that converts raw materials into value-added goods. That is something we can learn from them," Xulu said in an interview with broadcaster eNCA on Thursday morning.
"For as long as we are exporting, we need to establish how we can create an exploration fund to build more mines. So, if our competitive advantage is our (mineral) deposits, we need to invest in those deposits and make sure that we build industries around those deposits. If we cannot create value-added goods, let us rather create other industries that are linked to those minerals.
"So it is not unfair competition. Obviously, they are doing what they can with those minerals. We need to look at what our specific benefit is that we can derive from these minerals, and I believe we need to create value chains along the strategic minerals that we possess as South Africa," he said.
Xulu said it is highly beneficial for South Africa to continue to elevate its trade ties and proximity to China as the Asian giant grows in leaps and bounds.
IOL