Cape Town, August 2nd–Liu Jianchao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, along with members of a CPC delegation, held discussions with representatives from South African media and think tanks. Attendees included representatives from Independent Media, Media24, Cape Town TV, Daily Maverick, South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Economic Policy Research Institute, Human Sciences Research Council, University of Cape Town, and University of the Western Cape, among others. 

Liu shared his views on China-South Africa and China-Africa relations, emphasizing that President Xi Jinping and South African President Ramaphosa have reached important consensus on jointly building a high-level China-South Africa community with a shared future, ushering the bilateral relationship into a “golden era”. The Chinese side will work with the South African side to continuously enhance political mutual trust and practical cooperation, elevating China-South Africa relations to a new level. Developing solidarity and cooperation with African countries has been the cornerstone of China’s foreign policy, as well as a firm and long-standing strategy of the Chinese side. Amid the backdrop of the profound changes unseen in a century, the Chinese side is willing to work with African countries to further promote traditional friendship, deepen solidarity and collaboration, and continuously advance the in-depth integration of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative with the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, and development strategies of African countries to benefit the peoples of China and Africa. 

Chen Dawei, head of a department of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Shaofeng, Secretary of the CPC Fengtai District Committee in Beijing, Huang Qingjie, deputy head of a department of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission, and Zhong Shujia, deputy head of a department of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, introduced the spirit of the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Beijing’s practices of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the overall situation of China’s economic development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. 

The delegation also answered questions related to the Belt and Road Initiative and Africa’s development, China-Africa educational cooperation, debt issues of African countries, the role and influence of BRICS countries in international affairs, economic globalization, South-South cooperation, and excessive financialization.