Chairperson of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Gao Yan met with Gerhard Papenfus, Chief Executive of the National Employers' Association of South Africa in Johannesburg on July 18. The two sides exchanged views on strengthening exchanges and cooperation and further promoting the development of China-Africa economic and trade relations.

Gao Yan said, China and South Africa are major emerging economies in the world, with complementary economies and huge potentials for cooperation. In recent years, much progress has been made in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

“CCPIT is willing to work with SEIFSA to promote policy coordination, tap the potentials of trade growth, build more cooperation platforms and provide better services for enterprises for both sides, constantly consolidate the basis of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, and jointly open up a new chapter in the new era,” added Gao.

Papenfus noted, the Belt and Road Initiative has provided precious cooperation opportunities for all countries including South Africa. SEIFSA will implement the MoU on cooperation between the two organizations, and lead more than ten thousand small and medium-sized member companies in South African to participate in the Belt and Road construction and benefit from China’s booming economy.