A RAINBOW OF FRIENDSHIP
In an article "A Rainbow of Friendship" published on the Star newspaper of South Africa ahead of his visit, Xi said though geographically far apart from each other, the people of China and South Africa have enjoyed a friendship that becomes increasingly solid with the passage of time.
China-South Africa relations have gone beyond the bilateral scope and gained growing strategic significance and global impact, he wrote, noting the two countries stand ready to work together and seize the opportunities and momentum to take their comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights to better serve their peoples.
Xi's visit is hailed by the South African media, which said Africa is ready to learn from the Chinese model of development.
"Some of the key lessons to be learnt from China are how to implement an economic model tailored with the country's characteristics," given Africa's unique development challenges, the Pretoria News said.
EYES ON AFRICA
After his stay in Pretoria, Xi will leave for Johannesburg for a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), with the theme of "Africa-China Progressing Together: Win-Win Cooperation for Common Development."
China will facilitate South Africa's efforts to lead China-Africa cooperation on production capability and promote Africa's industrialization, encourage more financing for South Africa, and support the early launch of the establishment of an African regional center for the New Development Bank for BRICS countries, Xi told Zuma.
The two sides will jointly chart the course of cooperation within the next three years, with an aim to accelerate Africa's industrialization process and help Africa achieve sustainable development, Xi added.
The two-day Johannesburg Summit, starting on Friday, is expected to adopt a declaration and action plan outlining measures aimed at consolidating China-Africa relations.
Mike Danish, a lecturer of International Relations at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, said that China's establishment of new financing mechanisms such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the New Development Bank was a "clear indication that China wants to assist in the reduction of poverty in Africa."
Through the FOCAC summit, China is expected to send a strong message to the entire world that China and Africa are working together for win-win cooperation and bringing in a new prospect of development for the peoples of both China and Africa, Danish said.
Over the years, Xi said in his signed article, the FOCAC has become a crucial platform for collective dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for closer practical cooperation. It has greatly boosted the common development of China and Africa and brought real benefits to the Chinese and African people alike.
