Deputy President Paul Mashatile, John Steenhuisen in China for week-long visit

Deputy President Paul Mashatile is on a strategic Working Visit to the People’s Republic of China, to participate in the China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), as one of the key engagements.

The tour of China started on Monday and is scheduled to continue until Friday.

In its third year, CISCE is the world’s first national-level expo dedicated to global supply chains. It is hosted under the auspices of the Chinese Central Government and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

“This high-level participation by the deputy president and the South African delegation is a pivotal opportunity to advance the South Africa–China All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the New Era. It also reinforces South Africa’s position as a gateway to Sub-Saharan Africa for trade, investment, and industrial cooperation,” said Mashatile’s spokesperson, Keith Khoza.

On this occasion, South Africa has been accorded guest country status, under the theme: “South Africa: Your pathway to supply chain resilience”.

The visit will mainly focus on:

• Promoting strategic sectors such as renewable energy, logistics, pharmaceuticals, mineral beneficiation, and the digital economy;
• Showcasing a robust pipeline of investable projects to attract targeted Chinese investment, particularly into Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and critical infrastructure;
• Enhancing bilateral collaboration on clean technologies, digital skills development, and industrial standards; and
• Advancing South Africa’s objectives for supply chain resilience, accelerated industrialisation, and deeper integration within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework.

Khoza said in addition, the visit will include a dedicated bilateral programme aligned with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and the Ten-Year Strategic Programme of Cooperation (2020–2029) between South Africa and China, with a particular emphasis on chapter two on mutual beneficial economic cooperation and trade.

The visit is also part of the  evolving strategic trajectory of the South Africa–China relationship and reaffirms both countries' commitment to deepening mutual cooperation in support of inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.

“Deputy President Mashatile will be accompanied by the Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Thandi Moraka; the Minister of Small Business Development, Ms Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams; Minister of Tourism, Ms Patricia de Lille; Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Parks Tau; Minister of Water and Sanitation, Ms Pemmy Majodina, and Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Steenhuisen.

For more than a decade, China has been South Africa's largest trading partner. This position has been held by China since 2008, when it surpassed the United States. China is also South Africa's largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade between the two countries accounting for a significant portion of China's total trade with the continent.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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