President Mbeki to lead South African Delegation to China-Africa Co-operation Summit

Beijing - South African President Thabo Mbeki, supported by Foreign Minister Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, is expected in Beijing China on Friday 3 November 2006 where he will lead a senior South African government delegation to the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation (FOCAC) Summit of Heads of State and Government in Beijing China scheduled from Saturday - Sunday 4-5 November 2006. FOCAC is a mechanism for collective dialogue and multilateral cooperation, concentrating on issues of economic and social development between Africa and China.

The 2006 Summit, held under the banner "Friendship, Peace, Co-operation and Development," will be preceded by a meeting of African Ministers of Foreign Affairs and their Chinese counterparts on Friday 3 November 2006.

President Mbeki will participate in this Summit within the context of South Africa's commitment to consolidate the African agenda through South-South co-operation including co-operation projects through the New Africa-Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP). South Africa and the Peoples' Republic of China are in addition, members of the Group of 77 + China, which is the largest coalition of developing countries outside of the United Nations. South Africa currently chairs the G-77 + China.

The Summit will include a Roundtable discussion in addition to a High-Level Dialogue between Chinese-African Leaders and Business Communities. The Roundtable will be chaired by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

The Summit is expected to explore opportunities for concrete and practical cooperation on NEPAD implementation and to explore the linkages with the Sino-Africa process in the 18 economic and social development fields identified in the "Beijing Declaration" of 2000 and "Programme for China and Africa Cooperation in Economic and Social Development (2000)", as well as the areas of cooperation identified in the "Forum on China-Africa Cooperation - Addis Ababa Action Plan 2004-2006" document adopted in 2003.

The Summit is expected to adopt a Declaration and an Action Plan (2007-2009).

China - South Africa Relations

South Africa's strategic engagement with China is located within the country's key foreign policy priorities, which are shaped by our domestic priorities and include such as poverty alleviation, the equitable distribution of wealth, peace and security, and the creation of a better life for all.

Countries in the Southern Hemisphere share many of the same social and developmental challenges, including those induced by globalisation and historic inequity. The interdependent global order with a multipolar dimension means that like-minded countries have to form alliances on common issues.

South Africa's relations with China are an example of such an alliance that advances South Africa's bilateral, regional, trilateral and multilateral agendas.

In this regard, China represents an enormous opportunity for South Africa and Africa, but at the same time poses certain challenges. The sheer size of the Chinese market, its untapped potential, its population size, its explosive growth, its membership of the UN Security Council and its emergence as a major global power all present opportunities. China is also a key player in the expansion of South-South cooperation as we seek to maximize the opportunities presented by globalisation and reduce the negative effects. China can be a key ally in the fight to reform the international political, financial and trade architecture (in the UN, IMF, and WTO).

China-Africa Relations

China has traditionally played a role in Africa of supporting liberation movements. They have also supported African efforts to safeguard peace and stability by sending peacekeepers to Africa in the past, eg Liberia and the DRC. They have reduced the debt owed to China by African LDCs by $1.27 billion. They have set up an African Human Resources Development Fund, sponsored vocational courses for African trainees and contributed to the African Capacity Building Foundation.

China's accelerated engagement with Africa over the past few years has culminated in the adoption of "China's African Policy" in January 2006.

FOCAC, NAASP and NEPAD

The first indication of change in policy towards Africa was the formation of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in 2000 as a mechanism for collective dialogue and multilateral cooperation, concentrating on issues of economic and social development. The shift from aid, donor funding and donor projects to economically viable and sustainable projects has resulted in a substantive change of emphasis in China's foreign policy toward Africa.

In the course of developing the FOCAC, China has expressed support for the AU's socio-economic development programme, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). There is definite scope for using FOCAC to support the priority sectors identified under NEPAD and for cooperation on concrete, identified projects that promote our regional integration agenda. As far back as November 2002 in Addis Ababa, there has been a recognition and acceptance of the importance of harmonizing, synchronizing and aligning FOCAC and NEPAD.

In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the NEPAD Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-Up Committee of FOCAC in July 2006. China has also contributed US$500 000 to the NEPAD Secretariat for use in certain projects. An interesting point to note is that China's support for NEPAD has also been reflected in the Joint Statement of the 9th EU-China Summit held in Helsinki on 9 September 2006. The Statement includes the following - "The leaders agreed to pursue a structured dialogue on Africa and explore avenues for practical cooperation on the ground in partnership with the African side, including with the support of NEPAD initiatives and with the aim of attaining the MDGs. The leaders welcomes China's structured cooperation with Africa through the FOCAC".

Another point of intersection can be found in the context of the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) launched in Jakarta, Indonesia in April 2005. In this context, the NAASP Declaration adopted by our Heads of State and Government at the Asia Africa Summit specifically aligned the China-Africa Cooperation Forum to the NAASP and acknowledged NEPAD as the framework for engagement with Africa.

Issued by Ronnie Mamoepa on 082 990 4853

Department of Foreign Affairs
Private Bag X152
Pretoria
0001

29 October 2006