Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile meet and co-chair the ninth plenary session of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission in Cape Town, South Africa, March 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)
CAPE TOWN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile here on Thursday, and co-chaired the ninth plenary session of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission.
In his speech, Han said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the China-South Africa relations have entered a "golden era," elevated to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, and are moving towards the goal of building a high-level community with a shared future.
In a world of intertwined changes and challenges today, China and South Africa, both major developing countries and important countries in the Global South, share extensive common interests and a broad space for cooperation, Han said, noting that China-South Africa relations go beyond the bilateral scope and increasingly demonstrate global and strategic influence.
Speaking highly of the significant progress in China-South Africa cooperation across various fields since the eighth plenary session of the bi-national commission, Han said that the in-depth exchange of views at the ninth session on further implementing the important consensus reached between the two heads of state, on bilateral ties, and on advancing cooperation in key areas, fully demonstrated the commission's important role in planning and coordinating bilateral cooperation.
The two sides agreed that under the new circumstances, the bi-national commission should give full play to its important role, turn the traditional friendship between the two countries into a lasting driving force to develop their relations, turn mutual political trust into concrete actions to safeguard each other's core interests, and turn sound and practical strategic planning into tangible cooperation outcomes, he said.
Han expressed the hope that the authorities in various fields on both sides will enhance communication and coordination, and identify key projects and implementation steps for the next stage of cooperation as soon as possible, so as to secure more gains and results.
Han called on both sides to strengthen the tradition of mutual support between the two countries, enhance communication on issues concerning each other's core interests and international hot issues, coordinate positions, and maintain exchanges and cooperation at all levels and in all fields.
He also called for efforts to leverage the cooperation opportunities brought by China's zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries, and finalize, as soon as possible, the early harvest arrangements under the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development.
It is necessary to further enhance the alignment in key areas such as infrastructure, resources and energy between the two countries, expand cooperation in the field of science and technology, and strengthen the people-to-people bonds, he added.
For his part, Mashatile said that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa 28 years ago, bilateral relations have been continuously developing in both depth and breadth.
The South African side is willing to make joint efforts with the Chinese side to give full play to the important guiding and coordinating role of the bi-national commission mechanism in the development of bilateral relations, implement the strategic cooperation plan between the two countries, tap into cooperation potential, and jointly promote modernization.
South Africa appreciates China's constructive role in global peace, security and development, welcomes the Global Governance Initiative proposed by President Xi, and is willing to strengthen coordination with China in multilateral mechanisms to jointly safeguard multilateralism.
Han and Mashatile heard the work reports by six sub-commissions of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission on diplomacy, trade and investment, minerals and energy, environment and infrastructure, science and technology, as well as education and culture. ■
