On August 18, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa held a seminar and a book launch themed on "Xi Jinping and China-South Africa Relations in the New Era". Chinese Ambassador Chen Xiaodong, ANC General Secretary Mbalula, Second Deputy General Secretary of the ANC, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Ramokgopa and other senior party and government officials, as well as representatives of the academic community, including  Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg David Monyae, attended the seminar and delivered speeches. Paul Tembe, author of the new book Xi Jinping and the Thriving China-South Africa Relations in the New Era, who is also Senior Research Fellow at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs, elaborated on the contents of the new book. Nearly 200 people attended the conference, including journalists from China and South Africa media agencies, think tank experts and student representatives.

Ambassador Chen said in his speech that the event was held in a very timely manner. From August 21st to 24th, President Xi Jinping would be coming to South Africa at the invitation of President Ramaphosa, to attend the 15th BRICS Summit and pay a state visit to South Africa.  President Xi Jinping's visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. It would be President Xi Jinping's fourth visit to South Africa after five years. South Africa is the country to which President Xi Jinping has made the most state visits. This fully reflects the great importance President Xi Jinping attaches to China-South Africa relations and his strong determination to deepen cooperation between the two countries. 

Ambassador Chen said that as a veteran diplomat, he had the honour to participate in and witness President Xi Jinping's visit to South Africa in 2018. He felt first-hand how President Xi Jinping, with his grand vision and personal dedication, devoted huge efforts to advance China-South Africa relations and lead the way for building a China-South Africa community with a shared future.

Ambassador Chen said that President Xi Jinping pointed out many times that China is ready to work with South Africa to enhance bilateral relations, build a high-level community with a shared future, practice real multilateralism, join hands to safeguard developing countries’ common interests, and steer the international order toward justice and sound development. President Ramaphosa also emphasized that South Africa is committed to working with China to advance China-South Africa relations. Under the personal guidance of the two Heads of State, the China-South Africa Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to move forward with higher quality, in broader scope and at higher levels. The CPC and the ANC have maintained close exchanges and communication. The two sides continue to deepen mutual political trust. Our economic and trade cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges have produced fruitful results. The two countries also had smooth communication on multilateral occasions. The China-South Africa relationship has long gone beyond the scope of bilateral relations. It has set a fine example for China-Africa relations, South-South cooperation and cooperation among emerging market countries and has become increasingly strategic and globally influential.

Ambassador Chen noted that under new circumstances in the world, we look forward to China and South Africa better leveraging our bilateral relations, as well as FOCAC, BRI, BRICS and other platforms to deepen friendly exchanges and practical cooperation, so as to foster a stronger China-South Africa community with a shared future, and add new shine to our relations in the new era.

Ambassador Chen congratulated the publication of the new book titled “Xi Jinping and Thriving China-South Africa Relations in the New Era”. He said this book is a very good reflection of sound exchanges and mutual learning between our two countries. Ambassador Chen said he hoped to see more excellent works like Professor Tembe’s in the future.

ANC General Secretary Mbalula said that under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping, China's social, political and economic relations with South Africa and Africa have continued to develop. In the 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa, especially since President Xi Jinping's first visit to South Africa 10 years ago, the relationship between the two parties, the ANC and the CPC, has achieved great development, and the two economies have grown solidly, which has continued to benefit the two peoples. The economic and trade relations between China and South Africa have realized leapfrog development. Practice has amply demonstrated that parties with different social systems and cultures can also engage in close cooperation and exchanges. This is the cornerstone of the next 25 years of China-Africa relations. The development of China-Africa relations can also provide experience for solving the world's geopolitical dilemmas. Only through unity, cooperation and common development can countries achieve the goal of modernization. He thanked President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China for their support for South Africa's BRICS presidency.

Ramokgopa, Second Deputy General Secretary of the ANC, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation said that under the wise leadership of President Xi Jinping, China has given strong support to South Africa in the following three areas: firstly, the two countries have jointly responded to the COVID pandemic. China has donated anti-epidemic materials to African countries through bilateral and multilateral channels such as the African Union, and Africa and China have joined hands to tide over the difficulties. This is a manifestation of the importance that China attaches to people’s life and the well-being of the entire humanity, as well as a manifestation of true multilateralism. Secondly, since the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Africa and China, bilateral trade has risen from less than US$2 billion in 1998 to nearly US$60 billion in recent years. President Xi Jinping also advocates mutual benefits and win-win results. South Africa and China continue to promote balanced, stable and sustainable growth in bilateral trade. Thirdly, our pragmatical cooperation has helped create more jobs in South Africa. President Xi Jinping pointed out that the Chinese people have always shared the same destiny with the African people, always respected, loved and supported Africa. China will always be a good friend, partner and brother of Africa. No one can jeopardize the unity of the Chinese and African people. The upcoming BRICS Summit will not only give impetus to the two countries' practical cooperation in economy and trade, but will also further strengthen cooperation among countries in regional and multilateral affairs. Together, we will speak up for developing countries and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

David Monyae, Director of the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg  congratulated Paul Tembe on the release of his new book, saying that the book comprehensively describes the development of South Africa's relationship with China, from the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1998, to the setup of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), South Africa's accession to BRICS with China's support and its participation in the Belt and Road Initiative, which has brought great benefits to South Africa's development. China has been South Africa's largest trading partner for the past 14 years. More and more African students are learning Mandarin, traveling to China and choosing to further their education in China. The author uses irrefutable facts to demonstrate the growing popularity of China as a study destination for African students. The book illuminates the importance of China's position in the global economy, which is attributed to the visionary leadership of President Xi Jinping.

Sharing the background and experience of writing the book, the author of the new book, Paul Tembe, said that in today's Western-dominated world, China's geopolitical policies stand out as containing thousands of years of deep political wisdom. Since Xi Jinping assumed the presidency of China in 2013, he has always developed, deepened, and consolidated China-Africa relations in innovative and creative ways that are tailored to African countries' contexts. This book puts President Xi Jinping's wise leadership at the center of a grand narrative about a China that trades globally in a complex and modernized world, lifts tens of millions of people out of poverty at an unprecedented pace, and breaks out of the middle-income trap through innovation and institutional reform. China-South Africa relations are one of the most important relations among developing countries, and China and South Africa are important forces in building a community with shared future and promoting common development.

After the seminar, Ambassador Chen and the guests admired the photo exhibition on the theme of "Xi Jinping and China-South Africa Relations in the New Era", and reviewed the glorious history and wonderful moments of China-South Africa exchanges under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and President Ramaphosa, as well as the fruitful achievements made by the two sides in the fields of political mutual trust, international cooperation, economic and trade cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. The guests spoke highly of the high-level cooperation between China and South Africa, and looked forward to the bright future of cooperation between the two countries. Paul Tembe signed and presented new books to the delegates, and exchanged his book-writing experience with readers.

More than 100 journalists from more than 50 media outlets participated in the event, including South African media such as South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Newzroom Afrika, eNCA, BRICS TV, Power987, Jacaranda FM, SAFM, international media like Reuters, Bloomberg, Africanews, The Pretoria News, The Sunday Times, The Citizens, The Diplomatic Society, The Mail & Guardian, the Independent Online, Business Live, Pretoria Live, Eyewitness News, News 24 , and Chinese media such as People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Central Television (CCTV), Economic Daily, Science and Technology Daily, China News Service, China Global Television Network (CGTN), Phoenix Satellite Television, among others.

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The new book titled “Xi Jinping and Thriving China-South Africa Relations in the New Era” is divided into eighteen chapters, including the historical review of China-South Africa relations, the inspiration of President Xi Jinping's books “The Governance of China” to South Africa. It focuses on the achievements of China-South Africa Heads of State Diplomacy and China-South Africa cooperation, and demonstrates General Secretary Xi Jinping's charismatic leadership of a big country and a big party as well as the two countries' exemplary practice of jointly promoting the building of a community with a shared future for China and South Africa in the new era.