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Having established formal ties on 01 January 1998, the Republic of South Africa and the People’s Republic of China have reached the important milestone on 01 January 2018 of 20 years of formal diplomatic relations.

Over the past 20 years, the two countries achieved a significant number of bilateral cooperation agreements in areas including trade, investment, economic and people-to-people relations.

In the previous two decades, amongst others, the countries have assumed increased strategic significance, starting with a Partnership in 2000, to a Strategic Partnership in 2004 and ultimately to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) since the signing of the Beijing Declaration in 2010.

The year 2017 saw South Africa and China strengthening friendship through the inaugural of South Africa-China High-Level People-to-People Exchange Mechanism which took place in Pretoria, South Africa, in April 2017. South Africa advanced the China-Africa partnership by continuing to co-chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and working towards the implementation of the outcomes of the 2015 FOCAC Johannesburg Summit. China successfully hosted the ninth BRICS Summit in Xiamen, with South Africa scheduled to host the tenth BRICS Summit in 2018.

On behalf of the government of South Africa and the citizens, President Jacob Zuma expressed his well wishes on the occasion of twenty year diplomatic relations to further reinforce the well-established relations and explore more opportunities that will continue to create win-win cooperation for both Republics. President Jacob Zuma said “the Government and the people of the Republic of South Africa join me in conveying to the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China our warmest greetings.”

Issued by the Department of  International Relations and Cooperation