Senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhou Yongkang has said that China is willing to enhance cooperation with South Africa in various fields in a bid to lift bilateral ties to a new height, according to sources with the International Department of CPC Central Committee on Thursday.
Zhou, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks while meeting with South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday in Pretoria.
Zhou arrived in Johannesburg on Wednesday on an official goodwill visit to South Africa after concluding his three-day visit to Sudan. Zhou visits South Africa as guest of South Africa's ruling party African National Congress (ANC).
"Since the two countries established diplomatic relationship 11 years ago, China and South Africa have enjoyed increasing political mutual trust, and made fruitful achievements in such areas as trade, culture, education and tourism," Zhou told Zuma.
"China is now the largest trading partner of South Africa, and the two countries have become important strategic partners," Zhou said.
Zhou said China attaches great importance to relations with Africa, adding that China is willing to discuss new ways of cooperation with the African nations by implementing the eight new measures just put forward by the Chinese government.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao early November announced eight new measures to enhance cooperation with Africa when addressing the opening of the ministerial meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Egypt.
The eight measures proposed by Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing summit of the FOCAC in 2006 have been basically implemented, said Zhou.
Zhou also hailed the party-to-party relations between the two countries, saying the CPC is willing to enhance exchanges with the ANC to serve the country-to-country ties.
Under the leadership of the CPC, China has made enormous progress and accumulated abundant experience in the past 60 years, said Zuma, also the ANC president.
China, as representative of the developing and emerging countries, has played increasingly important role on international affairs, on which South Africa would like to step up coordination with China, said Zuma.
Zuma expressed his admiration for China¡¯s stable and fast development despite the global financial crisis, attributing China¡¯s success to its development strategies outlined based on its own situations.
On Wednesday, the ANC General Secretary Gwede Mantashe hosted a welcome banquet for Zhou and his CPC delegation.
Zhou wrapped up his two-day visit to South Africa on Thursday and headed back to Beijing.
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