Chinese President Hu Jintao's state visit to the Republic of South Africa from February 6 to 8, 2007 is of great importance and significance and will surely push the strategic partnership between the two countries to a new high, says H.E. Mr. Liu Guijin, the ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of South Africa.
Ambassador Liu meets journalists from Reuters, Bloomberg, EFE, Los Angeles Times and major South African media such as SAPA, the Independent Media Group, Business Day and Financial Mail on January 29, 2007. The media also presented at the press briefing included all local Chinese newspaper and China's Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, Economic Daily and Guanming Daily.
According to the ambassador, President Hu, at the invitation of Presidents of Cameroon, Liberia, Sudan, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and the Seychelles, will pay state visits to those eight African countries from January 30 to February 10, 2007. It will be the first state visit paid by President Hu this year as well as another major event in the history of China-Africa relations following the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.
Both China and South Africa attach great importance to this visit and are working closely together to make preparations for the event, says Ambassador Liu. During the visit, President Hu will hold talks with President Mbeki and deliver an important speech at the University of Pretoria oriented to all the African youth, a joint communiqué between the two countries will be released, a number of important documents on cooperation will be signed and China is expected to take new initiatives to support South African government's efforts in implementing ASGISA and agricultural development.
Next year will be the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the visit of President Hu will open the prelude of the celebrations, says ambassador Liu.