Yang Jiechi meets with Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor of South Africa

On June 25, 2019, Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee Yang Jiechi met with Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor of South Africa in Beijing.

Yang Jiechi said that under the personal care and joint efforts of President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa, China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership has achieved in-depth development and played an important leading role in China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation. Under the current circumstances, the Chinese side is ready to deepen all-round cooperation with South Africa, increase high-level exchanges and continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns. China's cooperation with African countries within the frameworks of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative should be an example for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations (UN) and the African Union's Agenda 2063. Both China and African countries are developing countries. We need to strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral mechanisms such as the UN and the G20 and on major international issues so as to jointly safeguard world peace, security and development and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

Naledi Pandor congratulated the Chinese candidate on his election as Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which is a piece of good news for promoting Africa's development. South Africa-China friendship has a profound foundation. The African National Congress has close relations with the Communist Party of China and stands ready to strengthen exchanges in state governance and administration. The Belt and Road Initiative has brought great opportunities to the development of South Africa and Africa. South Africa firmly supports and actively participates in the initiative. As an influential major country, China is particularly important to developing countries. The South African side is ready to intensify communication and coordination with China in multilateral affairs, strengthen BRICS cooperation, jointly advance global governance reform and uphold multilateralism.