Sign of strengthening South-South cooperation

China and South Africa elevated their bilateral ties to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership for the new era on Monday. They also issued a joint statement on the same day during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's visit to Beijing.

Strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and South Africa is in line with the two peoples' common expectations and the historical process of the Global South's rising trajectory.

To that end, the two countries will work together to advance their bilateral relationship and make joint efforts to promote high-quality cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, according to their joint statement.

The two sides should fully leverage such mechanisms as the China-South Africa Joint Working Group and the Joint Economic and Trade Committee to further expand economic and trade ties and improve the current trade structure, increasing market access. There is much potential to be released in the digital economy, artificial intelligence and the development of human resources. The two countries should be committed to providing a stable, fair and enabling business environment for companies from both sides and to ensuring the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the relevant personnel, projects and institutions.

The two countries are also working together to promote the building of an equal and orderly multipolar world and economic globalization that is universally beneficial and inclusive.

As such, they are making active efforts to restore development as the centerpiece on the agenda of international cooperation, and working for the full realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

They continue to uphold the core values and basic principles of the World Trade Organization, oppose decoupling and disruption of supply chains, resist unilateralism and protectionism, and call for reform of the international financial system and improved development financing for African countries to achieve common prosperity.

The more complex the international situation becomes, the more the Global South countries need to uphold independence, strengthen unity and cooperation, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice. China and South Africa are setting a good example in this regard.