The first meeting of the South Africa-China Inter-Ministerial Joint Working Group on Cooperation takes place in Beijing, China. Representing SA is International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane. The meeting was held on 3 and 4 September.

During the State Visit to South Africa by Chinese President XI Jinping in March 2013, the Terms of Reference of the South Africa-China Inter-Ministerial Joint Working Group on Cooperation were signed.

The objectives of the Joint Working Group on Cooperation are to monitor the implementation of cooperative projects, manage and solve challenges which may arise during the implementation of such projects as well as elevate bilateral economic relations through the deepening of practical cooperation.

South Africa–China bilateral relations have enjoyed phenomenal progress in the space of 15 years and have grown to a comprehensive strategic partnership, said the Department of International Relations on Wednesday.

South Africa and China have committed to building, developing and strengthening relations based on shared principles of friendship and mutual trust, equality and mutual benefit, coordination, mutual learning and working together for development.

Furthermore, the objectives of the Joint Working Group on Cooperation are to achieve a more equitable trade balance, encouraging trade in manufactured value–added products, increased inward-bound trade and investment missions and to finalise the working group on trade statistics, among other things.

The overall aim of South Africa’s approach is to use this mechanism to address inequality, poverty and unemployment, through enhancing bilateral economic relations.

Source – SAnews.gov.za