Johannesburg - The People’s Republic of China is gearing up to mobilise more businesses and stakeholders to participate in South Africa’s new energy industry and provide assistance for alleviating the country’s current power crisis.
Chinese Ambassador Chen Xiaodong, speaking at the China-South Africa New Energy Investment and Cooperation Conference held at the Sandton International Convention Centre on Tuesday, said the move to bring more players into the country would serve to inject new momentum into the practical cooperation between China and South Africa.
With the two countries celebrating the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, he said China was ready to work with South Africa to implement the key common understanding and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields.
Most importantly, work towards more results for the country's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership so as to better achieve common development.
China has been South Africa's largest trading partner for 14 years in a row, and South Africa has been China’s biggest trading partner in Africa for 13 years straight.
Looking ahead, Xiaodong said the strengthened relations would enable the countries to enjoy new opportunities, and renewable energy cooperation would become a new driver and highlight their economic and trade cooperation.
“We have what it takes to be reliable friends and strong partners in each other's economic and social transformation and development. China is ready to work with South Africa to take the opportunities provided by the conference to encourage more companies in both countries to connect on new energy cooperation and jointly advance the green and sustainable development of both countries.”
To accomplish this effectively, he highlighted four key elements that would have to be prioritised namely strengthening policy communication for stronger cooperation; further delivering projects to create new growth drivers; encouraging Chinese companies to leverage technical, financial, and human resources advantages; and advancing cooperation with South Africa in wind and solar energy, energy storage, as well as power transmission and distribution.
Thirdly, Xiaodong said there was a need to also advance cooperation in technical training and improve professional capacity, and lastly, expand investment and financing cooperation, especially in green finance.
Zheng Chao, Executive Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME), said that with Africa being one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change, developing clean energy was an inevitable choice to achieve sustainable development.
With China becoming the largest renewable energy market and equipment manufacturer and a major force in the global green and low-carbon transition development, Chao said they had kick-started the journey by bringing 50 business leaders from 24 enterprises to visit South Africa.
During the visit, he said they hoped to expand cooperation in energy, manufacturing, industrial parks, and infrastructure sectors based on their current close cooperation.
While at the same time injecting continued impetus into South Africa’s development on the one hand and building a platform for bilateral exchanges in the field of new energy.
“It will provide more opportunities for Chinese enterprises to have face-to-face exchanges with South African government departments and counterparts, to learn more about South Africa’s new energy projects, preferential policies, and the investment environment, and to expand the cooperation scope and explore new cooperative methods."
“Nothing is impossible with the same heart and mind. In the future the governments of China and South Africa and the thriving assistance of our enterprises, institutions, and friends, we are ready to work with our South African partners in good faith, making greater contributions not only to the in-depth development of the special friendly relations of our comradeship and brotherhood,” Chao added.
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho David Ramokgopa thanked the People’s Republic of China for the support they were giving to the South African people and the helping hand they were extending.
“You are the only ones who have come forward to say we will assist you and your people without any condition. We want to thank the People’s Republic of China for the solidarity, and we are looking forward to resolving this problem.”
“There is a science involved in resolving load shedding; you don’t just call a press conference that there is an end to load shedding or organise a march and think there will be no load shedding. There is a science that underpins the resolution of this problem, and it requires these opportunities to learn about battery storage, inverters, and solar solutions going into the future.”
The Star