On April 1, Ambassador Wu Peng attended the Diplomat Insights Dialogue organized by the Thabo Mbeki Foundation. He delivered a speech on the theme of “China, South Africa, Africa and the World,” and engaged in interactive exchanges with the participants. Over 50 representatives from South Africa’s diplomatic, academic, business, and media sectors attended the event.

Ambassador Wu highlighted the significance of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and the outcomes of the ninth plenary session of the China-South Africa Bi-National Commission. He outlined the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and South Africa in areas such as economy and trade, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges. Ambassador Wu noted that the Global South is a key driving force for a multi-polar world, and that China, South Africa and Africa should join hands more firmly and forge ahead to safeguard peace, promote development, and uphold international justice.

The dialogue was held in a lively atmosphere. Ambassador Wu was asked about the significance of China’s zero-tariff measures for Africa, the prospects for practical cooperation across various fields between China, South Africa and Africa, and concrete pathways to strengthen South-South cooperation. Participants noted that they gained a clearer understanding of China’s bright development prospects, and expressed confidence that the Global South countries will benefit greatly from cooperation with China.