CAPE TOWN, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng called for strengthened economic ties and broader strategic cooperation between China and South Africa during a forum in Cape Town on Friday.
Han made the remarks at the China-South Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Forum, jointly hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.
China-South Africa relations have endured across geography and time, Han said, noting that in September 2024, Chinese President Xi Jinping and his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa elevated bilateral ties to an "all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era," charting a roadmap for deeper cooperation and a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future.
Economic engagement, he said, serves as both the stabilizing force and driving engine of bilateral ties. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, trade and investment cooperation between the two countries has flourished.
According to him, bilateral trade in 2025 reached 53.58 billion U.S. dollars, with Chinese direct investment in South Africa exceeding 11.7 billion dollars. China has remained South Africa's largest trade partner for several years, while South Africa is China's top trade partner in Africa and one of its key investment destinations.
He added that bilateral cooperation has expanded in traditional sectors such as automobiles and home appliances, while emerging areas, including digital and green technologies, have delivered tangible benefits to both peoples.
Han outlined three areas for further collaboration. First, he encouraged deeper strategic alignment, with strengthened policy communication and closer integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with South Africa's national development plans, alongside full implementation of outcomes from the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Second, he advocated expanding trade and investment, welcoming more South African products into China and encouraging further Chinese investment in South Africa, while identifying new growth sectors such as renewable energy and artificial intelligence.
Third, he stressed enhanced multilateral coordination, emphasizing joint efforts in BRICS, the G20, and other global platforms to uphold fairness, multilateralism, and the interests of developing countries.
Han also highlighted that 2026 marks the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, during which China intends to further open its markets and create broader opportunities for cooperation.
In conclusion, he called on the business community to continue fostering close communication and pragmatic collaboration to contribute to a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future.
The event drew over 350 political and business representatives from both countries, including more than 70 Chinese and 110 South African company leaders.
