China, South Africa sign 13 agreements
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-06-22 08:45
China and South Africa Wednesday signed 13 agreements on cooperation in a
wide range of fields such as politics, economy, trade, national defense,
agriculture, technology and sciences.
What most important is the pact on
deepening strategic partnership between the two developing giants which was
signed by visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and South African President Thabo
Mbeki.
The Chinese premier announced that China will give 20 million RMB
(about 2.5 million U.S. dollars) assistance to South Africa in offering and
training various skills.
Wen Jiabao arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday
afternoon for a two-day official visit to the Republic of South Africa as the
fifth leg of his seven-nation Africa tour.
"I am visiting South Africa
to strengthen China-South Africa friendship, enhance political mutual trust,
expand cooperation of mutual benefit and promote common development," said the
Chinese premier.
Reviewing the bilateral relations in the past eight
years, he said in a press conference, China is satisfied with the progress in
various kinds of cooperation with South Africa.
However, he said, it is
just a start of 10,000 miles long march in such bilateral relations, which are
in the fundamental interest of peoples of the two countries.
President
Thabo Mbeki also expressed his satisfaction about South Africa's relations with
China, saying that "both governments are indeed committed to cooperation in all
fields."
Mbeki expressed his appreciation over the Chinese assistance
and said "we can meet our challenges" with the Chinese help.
Wen will
also meet political figures on bilateral and international issues, meet local
entrepreneurs and attend a forum on Sino-South African trade and investment on
Thursday.
(For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)
|
