Deputy President Paul Mashatile is scheduled for a Working Visit to China from June 20 to 26, in a high-level mission that aims to deepen bilateral relations between both countries, with a focus on political cooperation, industrial investment, trade facilitation, and economic collaboration.

The official visit comes at the invitation of Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Ren Hongbin. Mashatile will participate in the 4th China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing and lead several key economic diplomacy engagements.

According to acting spokesperson to the Deputy President Keith Khoza, the CISCE is the world's first national-level exposition dedicated entirely to global supply chains.

Hosted by the Chinese government and organised by the CCPIT, the expo serves as a critical platform for global trade stability. This marks Mashatile’s second consecutive appearance at the event, following his attendance at the 3rd CISCE in 2025.

This diplomatic mission directly builds upon the strategic outcomes of the 9th South Africa-China Bi-National Commission (BNC). Held in Cape Town in March, the BNC was co-chaired by Mashatile and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

The upcoming itinerary is designed to advance specific areas of mutual interest agreed on during the Cape Town talks, transforming high-level political commitments into tangible economic opportunities.

Mashatile will travel to the major technology and manufacturing hub of Shenzhen in Guangdong province, where he will hold high-level meetings with select Chinese investors to pitch South Africa as a prime destination for industrial expansion and manufacturing.

The mission highlights the depth of the South Africa-China economic partnership, focusing on securing foreign direct investment to stimulate domestic job creation and infrastructure development.

The Deputy President will be accompanied by the Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Zuko Godlimpi, as well as other senior government officials.