Chinese President Xi Jinping will soon be arriving in South Africa to kick-start his official visit to the country. His visit is at the invitation of the country's president, Jacob Zuma, whom Xi will hold talks with in Pretoria on Wednesday.
Xi is expected to attend high-level and ministerial-level meetings of the Sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday.
Starting Friday, Xi and the African leaders will hold two days of talks in Johannesburg, as the continent seeks to secure further investments from China. President Xi Jinping's ongoing African trip will also take him to South Africa for a state visit and a summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Ties with South Africa have developed well over the past two decades. Economic cooperation and cultural exchanges are also making strong progress.
This is President Xi's second visit to South Africa in three years. Later today, the Chinese President will receive a warm welcome at a ceremony in Johannesburg. He will later meet with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma, and both leaders will hold a joint news conference to discuss what has been accomplished.
On the eve of his visit, President Xi published an article in the South African newspaper 'Star'. The piece was titled: "Rainbow of Friendship." President Xi said bilateral relations had entered the best era. He vowed further cooperation with South Africa and the entire continent.
Trade volume has grown enormously since the late 1990s reaching more than US$60 billion last year. South Africa receives more investment from China than any other African country. And just days before President Xi's African tour, Chinese and South African companies signed 23 agreements, worth nearly a billion dollars.
As both countries are members of the BRICS group, they share common views on many international affairs and have worked closely on global issues. Cultural and people exchanges have taken place between China and South Africa.
South Africa has the largest number of Chinese schools and students across Africa. President Xi said China and Africa share a common destiny. He said they are complementary in many fields and can help each other.
