Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) holds talks with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma in Pretoria, South Africa, Dec 2, 2015. [Photo by Pang Xinglei/Xinhua]

Highlighting steady bilateral cooperation between the two countries, Zuma welcomed more investment from China and hoped the two sides could promote more fruitful cooperation in such areas as trade, technology, energy, marine products, commercial aviation and financing.

South Africa, Zuma said, encourages people-to-people exchanges, and will strengthen coordination and cooperation with China within the multilateral mechanisms like the United Nations and Group of Twenty (G20), and on major global issues like climate change.

Zuma also expressed his support for China's hosting of the G20 summit, which will take place in the eastern city of Hangzhou on Sept. 4-5 next year.

After his stay in Pretoria, Xi will leave for Johannesburg to co-chair with Zuma the Johannesburg Summit of the FOCAC, with the theme of "Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development".