South Africa and China are entering a new chapter in their economic relationship, moving beyond the traditional exchange of raw materials for manufactured goods towards a long-term partnership based on industrialization. Chinese Ambassador Wu Peng said this transition would take time but is aimed at building South Africa’s domestic production capacity and creating more sustainable trade at a seminar hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).
Chinese ambassador Wu Peng gives his speech. (Photo/Chinese Embassy in South Africa)
Wu said that China recognizes the need for South Africa to move up the value chain and that trade must evolve from being resource-based to industrially integrated. He noted that while mining remains a key component of trade, it can also be leveraged to create jobs and GDP growth when linked to broader economic development.
China has offered support in the face of growing global trade tensions, particularly the 30 percent tariffs imposed by the United States on South African goods. Wu emphasized the importance of multilateralism in countering rising protectionism.
Wu reiterated that China’s growing domestic demand presents a critical opportunity for South African exporters and that the Chinese market can offer some relief from U.S. tariff pressures.
In a congratulatory message to the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in China in June this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced a series of new measures to benefit Africa, including granting 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines through the entry into agreements on economic partnership for shared development. This zero-tariff initiative has been warmly welcomed by African countries, with more than 30 of them already signing the economic partnership agreements with China in a short period of time, Wu said.
South African trade official Xolelwa Mlumbi-Peter welcomed China’s tariff concessions, calling them a valuable agreement. As China climbs the technological ladder, she said, it opens up opportunities for South Africa to occupy more advanced segments of the global value chain.
Participants take a group photo. (Photo/Chinese Embassy in South Africa)
Mlumbi-Peter argued for alternative development models that prioritize regional integration, technology sharing, and industrial diversification. She cited BRICS and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as key platforms to achieve these goals in an increasingly fragmented global trade environment.
AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Nene described China’s role on the continent as "transformative," calling for deeper investment that targets African development and industrial growth.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0829/c90000-20359270.html