South Africa: Deputy President Mashatile Concludes Working Visit to China

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Deputy President Paul Mashatile has concluded a successful working visit to China aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and economic cooperation between South Africa and China.

At the invitation of the Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Ren Hongbin, the Deputy President participated in the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE), taking place from 16 – 20 July 2025 in Beijing, China.

CISCE is the world’s first national-level expo dedicated to global supply chains, hosted under the auspices of the Chinese central government and organised by the CCPIT.

The Deputy President used South Africa’s participation at CISCE as a strategic opportunity to advance the South China All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the New Era.

“This also reinforced South Africa’s role as a key gateway to Sub-Saharan Africa for trade, investment and industrial cooperation,” the Presidency said in a statement.

During the expo, the Deputy President officially launched the South African National Pavilion.

The pavilion showcased over 30 South African entities from a variety of sectors, including agro-processing, electronics, chemicals, leather, footwear and textiles, cosmetics, mining services, and the creative industries.

The opening of the 2025 South African National Pavilion is a focused response to resolutions made at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing in 2024.

“This is significant in that it demonstrates how South Africa is an important trade partner to China.”

During the working visit, the Deputy President held a bilateral meeting with Vice President Han Zheng of China.

“Vice President Zheng expressed confidence in the South African Government and emphasised the importance of strengthening existing cooperation. He further reiterated China’s support for South Africa’s Presidency of the Group of 20 (G20),” the statement read.

The Deputy President expressed appreciation for China’s longstanding partnership and extended an invitation to Vice President Zheng to visit South Africa to co-chair the 9th South Africa-China Bi-National Commission at a mutually agreeable date early in 2026.

Deputy President Mashatile met with Ren Hongbin, Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

During their meeting, he emphasised the importance of the expo in South Africa’s efforts to promote trade, enhance investment cooperation, foster innovation, and encourage learning and exchange.