Engagement with Chinese youth diplomats to exchange views on promoting South Africa-China friendship and relations

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International Relations

09 November 2016
Chairperson: Mr B Radebe (ANC) (Acting)
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Meeting Summary

The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation met with a 23-person delegation from the People’s Republic of China. The purpose of the meeting was to exchange views on promoting the South Africa-China friendship and bilateral relationship. The young diplomats were given a thorough briefing on the history of cooperation between the two countries, and were told that China and South Africa had always supported each other on international issues.

The Chinese delegates put forward questions relating to the current state of the relationship, and the future of the strategic partnership between China and South Africa. They asked about South Africa’s democracy and how it functioned, the impact of colonialism on South Africa and Africa, and the nature of Africa’s country borders.

The Committee answered the delegation’s questions, emphasising the importance of South-South trade and relations, and China’s impact on South Africa’s development. It described the structure of South Africa’s democracy, and the colonial history of the country and the African continent.

Members also asked a number of questions on key topics, such as the tensions in the South China Sea, the issue of self-determination for Tibet, and China’s interest in the African continent as a whole.

The delegates responded that with Tibet, China had done a lot to promote development and friendship between the two peoples, and that the media and western nations were biased against China in relation to its activities in Tibet. On the issue of the South China Sea, they said that the Philippines had illegally occupied the territory, but that the issue had recently been resolved, with an agreement between the two countries. Regarding China’s intentions in Africa, the delegates said that the relationship between China and the African continent had always been one of reciprocal friendship and support. Trade with Africa helped Africa to develop, and African development was good for Chinese development.

The Committee and the delegation both expressed their appreciation for the meeting, and expressed their dedication to strengthening the relationship between the two countries. 

Meeting report

Chairperson’s welcoming address

The Chairperson welcomed the Chinese delegation, and commented that this meeting represented the first time young Chinese diplomats had met with an African government.

Mr Zhu Jia, Deputy Director: Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the purpose of this trip was to give young Chinese diplomats experience on the African continent. The delegation was made up of young diplomats from 17 different departments. The point of the meeting was to promote China-South Africa relations, and to give young diplomats experience in interacting with African governments. The young Chinese diplomats were very interested in the China-South Africa relationship, and were excited to hear the views of the Committee members.

The Chairperson said that the relationship between China and South Africa was long and important, dating all the way back to 1963, when the ANC secretary general, Oliver Tambo, had gone to China to receive support for its movement. In 1998, Nelson Mandela had decided to observe the One China Policy, showing support for China in its claim for the island of Taiwan. South Africa’s relationship with China was important, as both could aid each other in becoming politically and economically stronger. As a parliamentary body, the Committee appreciated the strategic partnership between our governments.

Through this partnership, the two countries could approach the challenges of the world together. Just because South Africa had defeated the imperialists and colonists, it did not mean that the war for justice was over. It had now moved to the economic front. That was why the Group of 77+ China was very important when discussing world issues in the United Nations (UN). This strategic partnership was really important to South Africa, and was important for the China-Africa partnership. Through this forum, China had been able to invest in Africa.

The Chairperson argued that this partnership would be lost if the young Chinese people did not interact with Africa. The relationship had been created when times were bad, and now that times were good, strengthening that relationship had to be ensured..

South Africans would always appreciate that it was the former President of China, Hu Jintao, who had invited South Africa into the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) association of countries and the BRICS Development Bank, as well as the partnership between South Africa and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Development Bank. South Africa appreciated the credit lines that China had extended to South Africa last year, in the forum for China-Africa Cooperation. China’s increasing support for peacekeeping operations showed its support for Africa as an ally and a friend.

Chinese delegation’s questions

Mr Peng Zheng, Deputy Director: Ministry of Commerce of China, Youth Development Division, said he appreciated the Chairperson’s outline of the history of the two countries’ relationship. China was a strategic partner for Africa, and the delegation would welcome an insight into the strategic goals of the China-South Africa partnership for the future.

A delegate expressed her appreciation of the Chairperson’s positive remarks on the Chinese and South African history and relationship. She asked if the Committee expected that South Africa would continue to support China in the international community on big international issues.

Another delegate commented that currently China and South Africa enjoyed the strongest relationship in the history of the two countries. The two countries had conducted good cooperative work in areas of infrastructure, health care, cultural affairs and international affairs. However, some western countries had attacked China for its role in peace and security issues in Africa. Those countries argued that China should have done more in conflicts, such as in Mali, Darfur, and Burundi. He asked for clarification on what the Committee thought about China on these security issues in Africa.

Mr Hong Shen, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of International Economic Affairs, asked what South Africa’s expectations of the new American President were. What did the Committee think of his approach on Africa, and foreign affairs in general?

A delegate said that China’s National People’s Congress was the counterpart to the South African Parliament, and parliamentary relations were an important part of the two countries’ bilateral relationship. Did the Committee have any further plans on strengthening parliamentary relations between the two countries’ parliaments? China was deepening its political reconstruction by promoting self-improvement and development of the political system, especially in regard to the National People’s Congress. She asked if South Africa promoted the democratic process of its system.

Committee’s response

The Chairperson thanked the delegation for their questions, and said that he could not comment on the issue of Donald Trump and the American elections, because they had not concluded at the time of the meeting.

Mr M Maila (ANC), on the issue of South Africa-China relations, said that nobody had ever forced South Africa to choose their own allies. South Africa was part of the South-South relations, of which China was part. South Africa believed that South-South relations were very important, as they could help change the pecking order of the world, and challenge the traditional ways of doing things. This formation had brought about the formation of BRICS, which had led to the BRICS Bank, which had grown into the New Development Bank.

He commented that both South Africa and China had a sordid history of dealing with colonialism, and that this shared history reminded the people of the two countries where they came from, and who their friends were. South Africa would like to strengthen its relationship with China, as well as the relationship between China and Africa as a whole.

Ms D Raphuti (ANC) expressed her appreciation for this meeting, and that China had brought its young diplomats to Africa and to interact with African governments. The young people were the future, as well as the present, and bringing them to Africa to learn was vitally important.

Mr L Mpumlwana (ANC), said that the reason for the rhetoric against China from the west, was that China was giving a hand to particular countries in Latin America and Africa, and that there were no strings attached to that help. When one compared the BRICS Bank to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, the conditionalities were very different. He said that the BRICS countries constituted more than two-thirds of the world’s population, and that in America the BRICS Bank was called 'the war on the dollar." It was unfortunate that America was going to have a Trump president. The Republican Party was based on selling arms, and after going to war and destroying a country, they then sent their people to rebuild. However, if Trump did recall American troops from around the world, that would be a very encouraging development.

The Chairperson answered the question about how South Africa defended its democracy, and said that the African National Congress (ANC) had about 65%, the Democratic Alliance (DA) had 25%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) had about 5%. Each and every party in South Africa had a voice at the parliamentary level, and every bill had to go to the public, where the affected stakeholders were invited to give their opinions. It was also very important in South Africa that support was given across political lines. Each Member of Parliament (MP) received the same level of support from the government, and each meeting was open to the public, which gave the public oversight and held the Parliament accountable.

Parliamentary relations between the two countries were very important. A number of MPs had gone to visit their counterparts at the National Peoples Congress, and that visit had helped to strengthen the relationship. He said that no more than two years should pass between visits of MPs to China. In addition, it was important that South African students study in China, to make sure relations stayed strong in the future.

The Chairperson referred to China-Africa relations, saying that the African Union (AU) had Agenda 2063, and this Committee would ask China to support that measure. South Africa wanted China to be a partner, not a colonist. For example, if South Africa ordered locomotives from a Chinese company, that company should produce some of those locomotives in South Africa, and give local people the necessary skills to be self-sufficient.

He believed it was necessary for China and Africa to act together in the international forums, such as the UN, to promote sustainable development goals.

Mr Mei Yang, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs, asked for clarification on the many different borders on the African continent, which were straight lines. What was South Africa’s relationship with its neighbouring countries, and how did South Africa manage its borders? He pointed out that China had 14 bordering countries, and because they did not have border agreements with Bhutan and India, border patrolling was quite difficult.

Mr M Lekota (COPE) said that the straight line borders had been drawn by colonial powers, and were not natural borders. There had been very different borders before the Berlin Conference, with the Swazi Empire controlling many parts of what was now South Africa, going all the way up to Mpumalanga. The result had been that the majority of Swazi speakers were in South Africa. Botswana would have stretched down to the Vaal river in North West Province, and Lesotho had been much larger, controlling much of what was the Free State province today. Therefore, like the Swazi people, the majority of Basotho were in South Africa and not in Lesotho. In other parts of Africa, colonial borders were even more abstract. For example, the part of Namibia that protruded into Zimbabwe and Angola, the Caprivi Strip, was not natural. He asserted that the Germans had wanted to link German West Africa with German East Africa, but the British had blocked them by taking Northern and Southern Rhodesia. Following the decolonisation of much of the continent, the Organisation of African Unity (now the AU) had decided to accept the colonial borders in order to avoid fresh conflicts.

Mr Lekota said that because the British had colonised southern China, many of the South African mines had been mined with Chinese labour, because South Africans were not familiar with mining and would not go into the mines.

He argued that the biggest objective of international relations was world peace. Young people had to understand that world peace was a very important issue, and that South Africa had to commit itself to relationships with other countries that strove to build world peace. The most reliable foundation for world peace was development and education, and South Africa’s relationship with China had to be founded on building peace.

Ms T Kenye (ANC) said that China and South Africa had a common goal -- development and education. Education was a key to economic development and the development of young people. South Africa’s borders were porous, and that the country needed to do a better job of controlling them. This was an issue, because foreigners could come into South Africa illegally, which caused problems for the country’s social development. She said that China had been factored into South Africa’s five to ten-year development plan.

Mr D Bergman (DA) said that the South African and Chinese relationship was very strong, and that China was giving a lot to the African continent, as well as to South Africa. He asked what South Africa should give in return to China. He wanted to see an increase in the bilateral trade, not just in consumer products, but also a trade in expertise and knowledge. There was a growing wealth disparity in this country, and it was getting wider. Cities were developing, but the rural areas were still very under-developed. He commended China on its ability to build smart modern cities that represented certain areas and people, and were not merely historical, or colonial, cities such as in Africa, where people had to move to find work, or job opportunities.

Mr M Mncwango (IFP) said the Committee really appreciated the relationship that South Africa had with China. It would be good for the Chinese to learn an African language, as in the past the colonisers had imposed their languages on Africa, and China should make sure that history did not repeat itself. He asked for clarification on the issue of Tibet. South Africa had always supported secessionist movements, when the cause was just, and he asked about the Tibetan peoples’ desire for self-determination, and China’s role. He concluded by asking for an explanation for the tension in the South China Sea -- why there was tension at all, and what was being done to resolve the issue.

The Chairperson said that these were young diplomats, and not MPs, and therefore should not be expected to have the answers to all of these difficult questions.

Mr Mncwamngo responded that these were the questions that they would have to answer if they were to be future diplomats.

Ms Raphuti agreed, commenting that these delegates were already diplomats. On the issue of border management, she said that secure borders were vitally important for making people feel secure in this country, and promoting peace and security.

The Chairperson thanked the MPs for their questions. There had been a number of specific questions, as China had invested heavily in South Africa, and South Africans were in general curious about what would be asked for in return. As young diplomats, the visitors should expect to receive difficult questions, and if they felt they could answer them, they should feel free to do so. However, it was also acceptable if they could not answer the questions at hand.

A delegate said that she was not in a good position to answer the question politically, but could share her experience on Tibet. She asked where the MPs got their information on Tibet, saying that it was probably from western media sources, or from supporters of the Dalai Lama. When she had visited Tibet, she had been surprised by how much it had developed. China had done a lot to promote development and increase the standard of living for all of China, including Tibet. In Tibet, schools still promoted the Tibetan language, as well as Mandarin, but that if one did not want to learn Mandarin, it was not a requirement. She argued that most Tibetans wanted to learn Mandarin. The Tibetan culture was also protected by the Chinese.

Ms Hu Zhengze, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of African Affairs, said that she would talk about this issue from a historical perspective. As early as the 10th century, Tibet had been attached to China through trade and bilateral agreements. In the 19th century, the British were trying to occupy Tibet, using a number of different tactics. By asking the Tibetan people to be autonomous, it would have been easier for the British to occupy Tibet. A number of treaties had been put forward by the British which could not be ratified unless signed by the Chinese. Because these treaties were not signed by the Chinese, propaganda had been put out that China was controlling Tibet, and that western governments were trying to create the illusion that Tibet was not a part of China. Throughout the last hundred years, the Chinese government had always supported the Tibetan Living Buddhas, who were custodians of Tibetan Buddhism. The media often skewed the facts, painting a picture of something that was often not entirely true. This was what happened in China with Africa, and she thought that this may be the case here with Tibet, with South Africans getting their news from biased western sources.

On the issue of the tensions in the South China Sea, Mr Yang noted that the Philippines had illegally occupied Chinese islands in the South China Sea, and had recently called for arbitration on the matter. The new Filipino president had come to China and signed an agreement with the Chinese president to end this dispute from the side of the Philippines. He said that bilateral negotiation was the best way to solve this problem.

On the issue of China-Africa relations, a delegate said that she had been to a number of African countries, and had experience in Africa. She said that the Chinese people were willing to support Africa, because the relationship had always been a reciprocal one, and had never been strictly unilateral.
Chinese and African people were supporting each other. As China continued to try to grow at the rate it had been, it would become more dependent on international markets. China needed to combine its development with the development of Africa. When it was helping Africa, it was also helping China.

Mr Zheng said that in the first ten months this year, Chinese exports to South Africa had increased by 1.5%, and imports had increased by 2.5%. Although this increase may seem small, when taking into account that global trade had decreased, it was significant growth. South Africa had also attracted quite a large number of Chinese tourists, further illustrating the strengthening relationship between the two countries. He encouraged South African business people to attend the Chinese Import-Export Fair, the biggest and most prestigious Chinese trade fair. With South Africa’s diversified commodities, Chinese people would be more interested in doing business with South Africa.

Mr Jia thanked the Members and the Chairperson for the frank and friendly discussion. He agreed that the Chinese also saw that the future of the country lay with its youth. China was more than ready to build on this traditional relationship and friendship with South Africa. The Chinese attached importance on people-to-people relationships, which was why China had sent this delegation -- so that the Chinese could have a better understanding of South Africa and the African continent.

He hoped that his colleagues had answered the Members questions, and welcomed them to visit China to see for themselves. Despite China’s many successes, it -- like all countries -- was not perfect in all areas.
China was more than ready to advance cooperation with friendly countries, such as South Africa. He was confident that China’s relationship with South Africa would continue to grow, and as Chinese young diplomats took over leadership roles, that relationship would only continue to get stronger.

The Chairperson thanked the delegation and concluded the meeting.

 

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