Let me take this opportunity to extend a warm welcome to Your Excellency Vice President HAN Zheng, and your delegation to South Africa. Your presence reflects the enduring friendship, mutual respect and shared commitment to development that underpin relations between our two nations, as the year 2026 marks 28 years since the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China.

⁠We recall with appreciation the strong momentum in our bilateral relations, including my Working Visit to China in July 2025, aimed at strengthening economic and trade cooperation, followed by the meeting held in November 2025 with Premier Li Qiang of the People’s Republic of China at the NH Hotel in Sandton which advanced South Africa’s strategic objectives in trade, investment, industrialisation, multilateral cooperation and governance.

⁠Since the establishment of the Bi-National Commission through the Pretoria Declaration in 2000, this platform in particular has served as the apex mechanism guiding and consolidating cooperation between South Africa and China.

⁠Over nearly three decades, our bilateral relationship has grown in depth, scope and strategic importance, contributing meaningfully to economic development and reflecting our shared aspiration to accelerate development in both our countries.

⁠This platform remains relevant today and continues to provide strategic direction for the implementation of our partnership, particularly under the Ten-Year Strategic Programme for Cooperation (2020–2029).

⁠Therefore, my hope for today is that this meeting will guide us in consolidating progress since the 8th session, help us identify priority areas for future cooperation, and strengthen sectoral collaboration.

⁠While South Africa maintains strong relations with all major global partners and actively participates in multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, the G20, BRICS and the International Criminal Court, our partnership with China has become increasingly prominent and continues to compare favourably with our relations with other global partners.

⁠As we meet under the theme of advancing shared modernisation, we are reminded that our partnership must respond to a rapidly changing global environment, while advancing inclusive growth, industrial development and technological progress.

⁠South Africa is also encouraged by the growing investment footprint of Chinese enterprises in South Africa. Investments such as the Hisense industrial park in Atlantis, Cape Town, demonstrate the potential for industrial cooperation to drive job creation, skills development, and local economic growth.

⁠We see significant potential to further expand cooperation in infrastructure development, particularly in the modernisation of ports, rail and road networks, which remain critical to unlocking economic growth and improving regional integration.

⁠South Africa’s approach to international relations remains guided by its national interest, which is to advance the development of its people through inclusive economic growth.

⁠In this regard, South Africa remains committed to ensuring that its partnership with China delivers practical outcomes that improve the lives of its people and contribute to sustainable development in both our countries.

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. We deeply value your visit to our country and trust that you will enjoy the beauty of Cape Town, including the iconic Table Mountain and its surrounding landscapes, which stand as a proud symbol of South Africa’s natural heritage and hospitality.