South African president meets Chinese vice premier on bilateral ties

CAPE TOWN, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan on Thursday in the country's legislative capital Cape Town.

During the meeting, Ramaphosa expressed heartfelt thanks to China for extending a helping hand to South Africa in the fight against COVID-19, saying that this has fully demonstrated the friendship between the two peoples of the two countries.

Ramaphosa stressed that South Africa-China relations are of strategic significance, and the two sides should make efforts to consolidate political mutual trust, expand trade and investment, promote people-to-people exchanges, and deepen cooperation under the BRICS and other frameworks.

For her part, the Chinese vice premier extended Chinese President Xi Jinping's greetings and best wishes to the South African president, saying that South Africa and China enjoy special friendship and the heads of the two countries have maintained close contact.

China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership enjoys a strong momentum of development, with deepening political mutual trust, fruitful practical cooperation, productive people-to-people exchanges, and sound communication and cooperation on multilateral occasions, she added.

Sun said that China always views its relations with South Africa from a strategic and long-term perspective, and is willing to work with the South African side to firmly support each other on issues concerning core interests and major concerns, and deepen the sharing of experience on governance and development.

On Thursday, Sun co-chaired the third meeting of the China-South Africa High-level People-To-People Exchange Mechanism together with South Africa's Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa. They witnessed the signing of three cooperation agreements in education, science and technology, and health.

Sun also exchanged views with officials from the country's governing party, African National Congress, on promoting gender equality and safeguarding the rights and interests of women and children.