South Africa and China share much in common and they should
strengthen cooperation to build a "new political and economic world
order," South African Ambassador to China Muziwakhe Themba Kubheka
said here Tuesday.
In
an interview with Xinhua, Kubheka described relations between the
two countries as "quite warm," given their short history of
diplomatic ties.
He
listed their frequent exchange of high-level visits and close
cooperation in multilateral occasions such as the non-aligned
movement, G-77 plus China and the World Trade Organization.
According to the ambassador, more than 65,000 participants,
including more than 100 heads of state and government, as well as
non-governmental organizations and business people, are expected to
attend the upcoming World Summit on Sustainable Development
scheduled for September in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji will head a government delegation to the
summit from Sept. 2 to 4, at which he will speak in the general
debate and roundtable conference. He will also pay a working visit
to South Africa.
During the visit, South African President Thabo Mbeki will meet
with Premier Zhu, the ambassador said, adding that the meeting
would be fruitful.
According to Chinese statistics, the total trade volume between the
two countries topped more than US$2.2 billion in 2001,increasing by
8.4 percent year-on-year and accounting for 20 percent of China's
trade with the African continent.
Total investment between the two nations is also growing, Kubheka
said.
"South Africa hopes to get more access to the big Chinese market,
and as a powerful African country, it is ready to work as a gateway
for Chinese products to enter the African continent," the
ambassador said.
Although Kubheka came to China just nine months ago, he already
"feels at home," and has found the Chinese people "very warm, very
friendly."
He
said he hoped that when he left the country after four years,
mutual understanding would have been promoted, and bilateral trade
and economic cooperation boosted.
(Xinhua News
Agency August 21, 2002)