South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile has expressed his willingness to further deepen partnership and strengthen ties with China
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) during his recent visit, Mashatile underscored the importance of expanding cooperation. He also attended the fourth China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing from June 22 to 26, where he delivered a keynote address at the opening ceremony
It was his second time participating in the expo. During the visit, he toured the exhibition area and engaged with several tech companies at their stands
“This year, we were focusing on IT companies, artificial intelligence (AI). There was a zone this year that was dedicated to AI companies showcasing the latest technologies, so I spend a bit of time visiting that zone because, as you know, South Africa at the moment is focusing on the digital economy and it’s important that we attract a lot of companies who are in that space. So it was a great experience,” he said
Mashatile said he hopes his visit will further enhance the China-South Africa all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era, jointly announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2024
He also welcomes more Chinese companies to participate in driving South Africa’s economic growth
“One of my biggest tasks in this mission is to attract companies to come to South Africa, motivate them to come and invest in South Africa. Our President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Xi agreed on an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era and for us it’s very important. So my trip or visit this time to China is to build on that, to make sure that we can deepen the partnership to make sure that we can grow our economy on the back of the participation of Chinese companies as well in various areas, in the energy sector, in infrastructure, in digital economies and various other important areas currently in South Africa,” said Mashatile.
South African deputy president looks to deepen partnership, strengthen ties with China
