China wants to strengthen its friendship with South Africa and the whole of the continent, China's top legislator Wu Bangguo told President Jacob Zuma at the start of talks in Cape Town on Wednesday.
“The friendship between China and South Africa and Africa as a whole is indeed on a very solid foundation,” Wu said after greeting Zuma at Tuynhuys.
“We are both very enthusiastic about growing our bi-lateral relationship... It is one of the most dynamic bi-lateral relationships for both sides.”
Wu said Beijing believed that under Zuma's leadership “South Africa will make even greater progress” and congratulated him on the ANC's performance in last week's local government elections.
Wu, the chairman of China's National People's Congress, met with Zuma after addressing Parliament. He is on a four-day visit to South Africa at the invitation of his local counterpart, Speaker Max Sisulu.
After three days in Cape Town, he was due to travel to Johannesburg to meet with local business leaders before a dinner with senior officials from the department of trade and industry.
China became South Africa's biggest trading partner in 2008 and the government hopes that further strengthening ties with the Asian manufacturing giant will help boost South Africa's economic growth.
Zuma visited China with a delegation of 13 ministers last year and sought to encourage Beijing to invest in infrastructure in South Africa. - Sapa