On November 3, 2023, Vice President Han Zheng met with Deputy President of South Africa Paul Shipokosa Mashatile in Beijing, and co-chaired the eighth plenary session of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission.

Han Zheng said that over the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa, relations between the two countries have realized leap-frog development from partnership to strategic partnership, and then to comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides have constantly deepened political mutual trust, integration of interests and people-to-people ties, practical cooperation in various fields has been continuously advanced, and multilateral coordination has been close and efficient. In August this year, President Xi Jinping paid a successful state visit to South Africa, and reached a series of important common understandings with President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, charting the course for the development of friendly cooperation between the two countries and ushering China-South Africa relations into a golden era.

Han Zheng said that the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission has always played a key role in coordinating cooperation between the two countries in important fields. At this session, the two sides had a full exchange of views and reached a wide range of consensus on implementing the outcomes of the meeting between the two heads of state across the broad and advancing practical cooperation between the two sides in an in-depth manner, which is of significant importance for guiding and implementing cooperation between the two sides in various fields in the future and pushing forward the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership. In the next stage, the two sides should constantly consolidate political mutual trust, continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries through generations. The two sides should constantly deepen practical cooperation, and take the opportunity of implementing the 10 Years Strategic Programme on Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of South Africa (2020-2029) to expand the space of cooperation when taking eight steps to support the joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The two sides should enrich and expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and continue to advance cooperation in such fields as education, medical care, sports, culture and tourism. The two sides should actively strengthen cooperation on international occasions, deepen communication on such issues as climate change, food security, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and increase the representation and say of the Global South countries in global governance.

Han Zheng said that in the current process of a multipolar world, the African strength continues to grow and the African voice becomes louder and clearer. China is ready to work with South Africa and other African countries to strengthen cooperation on such platforms as the BRICS mechanism, the Group of 20, and the United Nations, oppose bloc political confrontation, act upon true multilateralism, jointly build a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future, show the world the strength of developing countries in pursuing greater strength through solidarity, and inject more stability and positive energy into the world fraught with changes and turbulence.

Paul Shipokosa Mashatile said that South Africa attaches great importance to growing its relations with China, remains firmly committed to the one-China policy, and stands ready to work with China to give play to the positive role of the Bi-National Commission mechanism in promoting the development of relations between the two countries, consolidate and deepen strategic mutual trust between South Africa and China, expand cooperation in various fields, strengthen the alignment of the Belt and Road Initiative and Agenda 2063 of the African Union, and work for the constant development of South Africa-China relations and Africa-China relations.

Han Zheng and Paul Shipokosa Mashatile were briefed on by seven sub-commissions of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission on diplomacy, economy and trade, minerals, science and technology, energy, education, and maritime economy. The two sides agreed that the sub-commissions of the two countries implement the outcomes of the session across the board, take concrete measures to advance all the work, and make greater contribution to promoting the development of China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership in an in-depth and substantive manner and accelerate the building of a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future.