Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa on the occasion of the 2nd State Visit to China by H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Establishment of an All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in a New Era

At the invitation of H.E President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China, H.E. President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa paid a State Visit to China on 2 September 2024. During the State Visit, the two heads of state held talks in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and had an in-depth exchange of views on further developing China-South Africa and China-Africa relations, including regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The two sides reaffirmed that they cherish the special and ever-growing friendship between the two countries and recommitted to working together towards building a high-quality China-South Africa community with a shared future. To carry forward the friendship, consolidate mutual trust, expand cooperation and enhance coordination, the two Heads of State agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, underpinned by strong political ties and focused on a prosperous future with balanced trade, and accelerated transformative economic growth. The Heads of State reached a series of important common understandings:

I. Working towards a high-quality China-South Africa community with a shared future

1. The two sides spoke highly of the leapfrog development of the China-South Africa relationship over the past 26 years since its establishment and commended the growth in many areas of cooperation in the golden era of the bilateral ties heralded by the fourth state visit of President Xi Jinping to South Africa in August 2023. The bilateral relationship boasts growing global significance and strategic influence, setting a fine example of developing countries from the Global South working together in solidarity, for purposes of common development.

2. China congratulated President Ramaphosa on his reelection as President of the Republic of South Africa, and believes that under his leadership, the South African Government of National Unity will achieve success in building a united, just, equal and prosperous country as espoused in the National Development Plan, including maintaining an independent and non-aligned foreign policy based on the principle of progressive internationalism. South Africa congratulated the People’s Republic of China on the 75th anniversary of its founding, acknowledged the development achievements made by the Chinese people of all ethnic groups under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and wished China success in realizing its Second Centenary Goal of building itself into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

3. The two sides agreed to leverage the strategic guiding role of Head-of-State diplomacy based on a common understanding between the two Presidents to foster mutually beneficial cooperation by leveraging further the role of structured bilateral mechanisms held at various levels. The two sides encouraged the deepening of exchanges between government departments, and legislative institutions and agreed to accommodate subnational interactions at multiple levels and across different fields, including intensifying experience sharing and mutual learning on state governance.

4. China firmly supports national unity and the path of economic and social development that South Africa has chosen, and respects efforts by the South African government to safeguard its national interests to improve the lives of all South Africans. The South African government reaffirmed its commitment to the One-China Policy, recognized that there is but one China in the world, the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. South Africa supports efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification. 

5. The two sides agreed on the fundamental need to guarantee and protect universal human rights for all, everywhere, including the right to development, as a common cause for all humanity and expressed readiness to conduct exchanges and cooperation on human rights based on mutual respect, equality and rejection of politicization, polarisation, selective, and double standards concerning all human rights matters. The two sides further agree to oppose all forms of discrimination and to promote and protect the rights of vulnerable persons, particularly women, children and persons with disabilities and ensure their equitable access to resources.

II. Synergising Belt and Road cooperation with South Africa’s National Development Plan

6. The two sides agreed to work on strengthening cooperation and synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan and to continue implementing the 10 Years Strategic Programme of Cooperation between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa (2020-2029), as a blueprint towards more substantive outcomes on priority political, socio-economic issues between the two sides.

7. The two sides agreed to fully leverage the role of such mechanisms as the China-South Africa Joint Working Group (JWG) and the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETC) to further expand economic and trade ties by improving the current trade structure, increasing market access and the export of value-added goods from South Africa. 

8. The two sides encouraged the respective business communities to enhance new two-way investments and increase their manufacturing bases within the proximity of the relevant source of raw materials to enable the transfer of skills technology and job creation.

9. The two sides committed to providing a stable, fair and enabling business environment for companies from both sides and to ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the relevant personnel, projects and institutions. The two sides encouraged mutual visits by economic and trade delegations, including co-hosting the New Energy Investment Conferences by chambers or associations of commerce from both sides, and holding the Jobs Fair of Chinese-Invested Enterprises in South Africa to boost local employment and improve people’s lives.

10. The two sides agreed that promoting modernisation is the joint goal in building a high-level South Africa-China community with a shared future. The two sides will deepen cooperation in traditional fields such as agriculture, health, medical sciences and infrastructure development, however, they will further seize opportunities presented by the new scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, focusing on key areas such as the digital economy, new energies and artificial intelligence, boost cooperation on quality productive forces, and further expand mutually beneficial cooperation in renewable energy, energy storage and power transmission and distribution. 

11. China is committed to sharing with South Africa experience in poverty alleviation and rural revitalization, in building poverty alleviation model villages, and offering support for South Africa’s coordinated urban and rural development. The two sides further agreed to continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the areas of culture, women, health, youth, education, sport, media, tourism, and other people-to-people cooperation fields.

III. Working together to build an equal and orderly multipolar world and universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization

12. South Africa welcomed China’s role as a leader on the international stage and acknowledged that China's Global Development Initiative (GDI), Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI)  are aimed at improving global peace and security, promoting socio-economic development, and contributing to the reform of global governance. South Africa is confident that China will promote these initiatives, noting the primacy of the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) and in line with the principles and programs of the UN and the AU, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, and the principle of subsidiarity. South Africa looks forward to close consultation and cooperation with China on both bilateral and global issues of mutual interest and encourages China to cooperate closely with other major countries in dealing with global challenges such as climate change, conflict prevention and resolution, fair trade, and poverty alleviation. The two sides welcome and support each other in playing an increased role in global affairs, and will work together to uphold fairness and justice, including making global governance more just and equitable.

13. The two sides applauded the recent 70th Anniversary of China’s “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”, as these were espoused in the buildup to the Asia-Africa Summit of 1955 in Bandung and were later adopted as the main goals and objectives of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation on international affairs and multilateral institutions, jointly uphold the UN-centred global system, an equitable international order underpinned by international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including to uphold the rights and interests of developing countries jointly and respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

14. The two sides supported a comprehensive reform of the UN, including its Security Council, with a view to making it more democratic, representative, effective and efficient, and to increase the representation of developing countries in the Council’s memberships so that it can adequately respond to prevailing global challenges and support the legitimate aspirations of emerging and developing countries to play a greater role in international affairs, in particular in the United Nations, including its Security Council.

15. The two sides agreed to make active efforts to restore development as the centerpiece on the agenda of international cooperation, and to work for the full realisation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China applauded South Africa for contributing to international synergy for common development and congratulated the country on successfully hosting the 15th BRICS Summit in 2023, including its efforts as the chair in achieving a historic BRICS expansion. Both sides agree to continue strengthening coordination and collaboration under the BRICS mechanism and work for more practical outcomes of cooperation of an expanded BRICS.

16. China expresses its full support for South Africa’s G20 presidency in 2025 and extended felicitations to the African Union on becoming a full member. China called on the international community to attach greater importance to Africa-related priorities in G20 affairs. China expressed its readiness to work with South Africa to increase the influence and voice of emerging markets and developing countries, to focus on major issues such as coordination and macro-economic policies, global poverty reduction, development and reform of international economic and financial institutions, as well as to promote a more balanced and stable global economic and financial architecture.

17. Both sides undertook to continue to uphold the core values and basic principles of the World Trade Organization, oppose decoupling and disruption of supply chains, resist unilateralism and protectionism, call for reform of the international financial system, and improve development financing for African countries to achieve common prosperity.

18. The two sides commended each other’s respective roles in terms of resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict and welcomed the Common Understandings Between China and Brazil on the “Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis”, as well as the Peace Mission by the African Union. The two sides agreed that inclusive dialogue and peaceful negotiations are the only viable political ways to find a lasting solution to the crisis. The two sides call on relevant parties to observe the three principles of no expansion of the battlefield, no escalation of fighting and no provocation by any party.

19. The two sides are deeply concerned about the serious humanitarian disaster in the Gaza Strip caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its spillover effects. Both called for the earnest implementation of the U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728 and an immediate ceasefire and end to all fighting, and support resuming a process of political settlement of the Palestinian question. China commended the positive role that South Africa has played in activating the role of the international community in the conflict in Gaza and is willing to work together toward a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement at an early date. South Africa expressed its appreciation to China for successfully inviting various Palestinian factions to hold a reconciliation dialogue in China and for signing the Beijing Declaration.

IV. Working to launch a new era of building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future

20. The two sides commended the successful China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue held in South Africa in August 2023 and encouraged the Beijing FOCAC Summit’s full commitment to implementing the Initiative on Supporting Africa’s Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development put forth by President Xi Jinping.

21. China commended President Ramaphosa for scheduling to co-host the high level session on “industrialization, agricultural modernization and green development - the path to modernization”. 

22. The two sides agreed to further align the outcomes of the Summit with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as part of opening a new chapter in China-Africa relations. Both Presidents look forward to a fruitful conference that would promote the common interests of both China and Africa.

23. The two sides applauded the facilitating role that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) has played in promoting China-Africa high-quality cooperation during the last 24 years since its establishment. The two Presidents wished the 2024 Beijing Summit of FOCAC all success and expressed the hope that it would open a new chapter of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation.

24. The two sides call on the international community to support the efforts by African countries in terms of the full implementation of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and allow Africa the space to realise the benefits of its integration agenda. The two sides further call on the international community to support efforts by African regional organizations such as the African Union to independently solve African regional problems (i.e. African solutions to African problems) and agree to enhance coordination on hotspot issues in Africa and safeguard peace and security of Africa.

25. As part of the State Visit, the two Presidents jointly witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation instruments in the following areas：Cooperation of the Application of Beidou Navigation System; Sustainable Housing and Human Settlements Development; Deepening Bilateral Trade Cooperation; Cultural Heritage; Cooperation in Prevention an Control of Foot-and-Mouth Disease; Inspection Quarantine and Sanitary Requirements for Dairy Products Exported from the Republic of South Africa to the People’s Republic of China, and the Protocol on Greasy Wool and cooperation in scientific field. 

26. The two sides agreed that President Ramaphosa’s visit to China was successful and carried great significance in terms of promoting China-South Africa relations and building a high-level China-Africa community, with a shared future. President Ramaphosa expressed his heartfelt appreciation to President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Government and People for their warm hospitality during the State Visit to China.