The two deputy presidents will sign various bilateral agreements including agreements on education, on citrus exports from South Africa to China and between Sasol and a consortium of Chinese companies.
Announcing the first bi-national commission last week, deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad urged South Africans to make use of China's growing economy.
"China is developing into a major economic superpower and we need to take advantage of that," he told reporters in Pretoria.
Since beginning economic reforms in 1978, China has become one of the world's fastest growing economies. Over the past ten years its gross domestic product has grown at an average annual rate of nearly 10%.
This growth had benefited South Africa, said Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Liu Gui Jin.
He said iron ore exports from Kumba in the first four months of this year had increased by 158% over the same period last year. According to Chinese customs figures, South African exports to China in 1998 amounted to $690-million. By the end of 2003 this had grown by 23% to $1840-million.
"This is South Africa's biggest increase to any one country," he said.
Diplomatic relations were established in 1998 and South Africa was now China's largest trading partner in Africa. Jin said South Africa became an "approved destination for private tourists" last year.
Bilateral trade in the first quarter of this year amounted to $1,67-billion, an increase of 66,6% from the same period in 2003. – Sapa.
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