South African ambassador highlights FOCAC’s role in strengthening bilateral ties

South African Ambassador to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele anticipates that the upcoming Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) will significantly enhance bilateral relations, emphasizing the summit's potential to deepen cooperation between the two nations.

Chinese and African leaders will convene in Beijing from September 4 to 6 for the FOCAC, themed "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Build a High-Level China-Africa Community with a Shared Future." This summit follows major FOCAC events in 2006, 2015, and 2018 and is expected to be the largest diplomatic gathering China has hosted recently.

In an exclusive interview with China Central Television (CCTV), Ambassador Cwele underscored South Africa's pioneering achievements. South Africa is the first African nation to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and integrates Chinese into its national education system, with September 17 designated as "Chinese Language Day."

The rapid growth of China-South Africa relations is evident under the leadership of both nations' heads of state. For fifteen years, China has been South Africa's largest trading partner, while South Africa has been China's top trading partner in Africa for fourteen years. The trade volume between the two countries represents about one-fifth of China-Africa trade.

Cwele expressed his confidence that FOCAC will further strengthen China-South Africa ties.

"The bilateral relations between South Africa and China are very, very strong. As you know, President Xi Jinping had a very successful state visit last August, just before the BRICS summit. A lot of agreements were signed, which shows practical cooperation between the two countries. You know, through BRI and FOCAC, we've really had a lot of success, whether you talk of infrastructure, whether you talk of ICT. People-to-people exchanges are really excellent, whether it's health, tourism, or arts and culture. We exchange students a lot. Our scientists are cooperating. We are reforming our visa system so that it can also be friendly to our Chinese tourists, who are continuing to increase," said Cwele.

Discussing the potential for Chinese investment, Cwele highlighted new opportunities, particularly in the new energy sector.

"From the South African perspective, there are new areas with a lot of opportunities, particularly for Chinese investors. In the new energy sector, the whole new energy revolution -- including EVs, solar panels, wind, prioritizing technology. So, we need that because we need to transform all of our production, from agriculture, from health, from government, to be digitized. So, those are the areas of focus for us going forward," he noted.

Reflecting on the enduring friendship between the two nations, Cwele noted the mutual support in international organizations, such as the United Nations (UN).

"That is a relationship of trust; that's a relationship of solidarity. When you face your own problems at the UN, African countries were the first to stand and say China must take its rightful place. But China now is strong, and it is not using its strength to bully us, but using its strength to help and share development with Africa. And it is a relationship of long trust and mutual respect," he said.

Cwele also spoke about Agenda 2063, the African Union's vision for the next 50 years. The agenda builds on the achievements and is inspired by future development and innovations.

"Africa is now implementing this Agenda 2063. It's a very important program for Africa. You're implementing your second Centenary Goal, and the FOCAC becomes that bridge to make this key progress meet. We expect that when the leaders meet, they will come up with a very strong declaration and implementation plan, representing the vibrancy of the relationship between Africa and China. We also expect that some of the key outcomes may focus on some of the areas like industrialization of Africa," Cwele said.

South African ambassador highlights FOCAC’s role in strengthening bilateral ties

South African ambassador highlights FOCAC’s role in strengthening bilateral ties

South African ambassador highlights FOCAC’s role in strengthening bilateral ties

To celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou City of Guangdong Province, south China introduced to visitors baby panda Mei Zhu, the daughter of Meng Meng, the oldest sister of the world's only surviving panda triplets, and prepared a series of activities on Friday.

Mei Zhu, aged only 87 days, is in good health and just began teething. But the baby panda always gets a bit cranky after milk feedings, and requires panda keepers to spend around half an hour to calm her down.

"As a young panda, her digestive system is still developing, and excessive activity after feeding can lead to digestive issues. She is quite energetic now. If she found any strangers entering her enclosure and they wanted to, for example, pet her, she would be quite defensive, due to her self-protection instincts," said Chen Siming, a wildlife conservation expert.

Another star panda in the zoo, Guo Qing, also received his present, a pile of mooncake-shaped wowotou (a type of steamed corn bread). Guo Qing was of good appetite, which amused many of his fans.

"I am here just to see her. I drove 38 kilometers just to watch her mischief. She is very famous for that, always causing trouble when her keeper is not around," said a visitor.

The koalas are also welcoming guests. Totaling over 70 koalas in the park, more than 40 of them were presented to visitors by their keepers. The chubby animals constitute a big family of eight generations, with the youngest being 2 years old and the oldest reaching 19, much older than the average lifespan of the species.

"We've sent technicians to Australia to learn how to feed the Koalas, pick up veterinary and health care skills. With our valuable experience gained through years of raising the koalas, we are able to provide them good environment, food, and medical care. As a result, the average lifespan of the troop is getting longer," said a koala keeper.

In addition to these highlights, Chimelong Safari Park is also planning a series of animal enrichment events and sharing stories of the animals with the visitors during the Mid-Autumn Festival vacation.

Safari park in Guangzhou presents baby panda to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival