On June 22, 2006, the first China-South Africa Business Cooperation Forum was held in Cape Town international convention center. Visiting Premier Wen Jiabao and South African Vice President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka attended the opening ceremony, and Wen delivered an important speech on the relations between China and Africa, China and South Africa and China's policies with Africa.
In his speech, Wen said that over the 50 years since the People's Republic of China and Africa established diplomatic ties both sides have supported and helped each other, cooperated closely and established profound friendship. The relationship between China and African countries is a typical example of country-to-country relationship characterized by treating each other as equals and sincere friendship. No matter how the international situation changes the friendly feelings between the Chinese and African people will remain unchanged forever.
He stressed that China-Africa relationship is one of the cornerstones of Chinese diplomacy and it is a long-term strategic choice of China to consolidate and develop the friendly cooperation with African countries. The Chinese government will continue to follow the principles of sincerity, friendship, equality, mutual benefit and common development, adhere to equality and mutual trust politically, promote mutual benefit and win-win cooperation economically, strengthen exchanges in the cultural, educational and social sectors, collaborate closely in international affairs and join hands with African countries to build and push forward a new type of strategic partnership between China and Africa.
Wen said that China respects the social system and development road independently chosen by African countries according to their national conditions, never imposes its own values or development model on Africa and supports the efforts of African countries to maintain national sovereignty and independence and realize regional peace and stability.
With the development of China we will cooperate with Africa in greater areas and at higher levels to achieve complementarities, increase assistance to Africa within our own capacity, expand investment in Africa, try our best to ease the debt burden of Africa, continue to support Africa in developing its education, health and culture and regional cooperation and promote the independent development of African countries, said Wen.
China will continue to work with Africa to promote South-South cooperation and South-North dialogue and push the international community to pay greater attention to and support for the development of Africa.
Instead of being closed or exclusive, China-Africa cooperation is transparent, open and comprehensive. It will not influence the cooperation with any third party of each side, noted Wen.
Talking about China-South Africa relations, Wen said that South Africa is an important strategic partner of China in Africa and the Chinese government attaches great importance to developing cooperation with South Africa. We expect to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges with South Africa, expand bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, science and technology, infrastructure construction, communications and human resources and enhance the size and quality of bilateral cooperation comprehensively. China will actively promote the non-governmental contacts and increase educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
To encourage the business communities of the two countries, Wen said, "Nothing is difficult to the man who will try. To strengthen China-South Africa and China-Africa cooperation is like climbing a mountain. I hope you will race against time and forge valiantly ahead."
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mlambo-Ngcuka spoke highly of the development of South Africa-China relations, thanked China for its insistent care and support for the national liberation, peace and development undertaking of Africa, praised China as a good friend and partner of Africa and noted that South Africa is committed to strengthening the strategic partnership with China and willing to play an active role in promoting the relations between Africa and China. She pointed out that China's development brings about opportunities to South Africa and Africa and called for the business community of South Africa to look at South Africa-China relations in a long-term perspective, seize the opportunities and strive to expand the mutually beneficial cooperation with China extensively.
China-South Africa Business Cooperation Forum is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa. Almost a thousand business people of the two countries attended the forum.
On the same day, Wen also listened to the introduction of South African company Sasol about the coal-to-liquids technology.