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Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System Date: 26 Aug 2010 Title: Zuma visits Shanghai Expo -------------------- Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma will today visit the World Expo in the city of Shanghai as part of his state visit to China. The President, who ends his visit in that country today, will visit the South African pavilion which offers an opportunity for the country to showcase its technologies, products and companies internationally. Zuma said South Africa's participation in the Shanghai World Expo would promote cultural exchanges between the two countries. The stand demonstrates how far South Africa has progressed in its development efforts and to share lessons about its successes and also offers an opportunity to change perceptions in China about Africa in general and South Africa in particular. Zuma, who is in China to boost ties, was confident that South Africa had secured more favourable trade concessions from China, on the second day of his three-day visit. China is SA's largest country-to- country trade partner, and the second-biggest economy in the world. It is also the biggest investor in African infrastructure. On Wednesday, the two countries owed to advance bilateral cooperation in all areas. The pledge came out of meetings between senior Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice President Xi Jinping who met with Zuma separately. "The comprehensive strategic partnership the two countries have established embodies the two sides' mutual trust and broad common interests," Wen said, adding that the Chinese government will work closely with the South Africa to map out action plans in various areas that will benefit the people. Zuma said the establishment of the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership was another achievement in the development of bilateral relations. South Africa would use bilateral mechanisms, strengthen communication and coordination with China, and further enhance cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, infrastructure construction and education, he added. During his meeting with Wu, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, Zuma discussed parliamentary exchanges between the two countries. "More exchanges and experience sharing between the two parliaments will help the development of the China-South Africa relations," Zuma said. Zuma, who is accompanied by about 350 business people, has urged China to use its position as the world's second-largest economy to demand greater reform of multilateral institutions to reflect the needs of developing countries. "The developing world is told that if it does not westernise, and change its political systems to mirror those of the West, they can forget about achieving economic growth and development," he said at a lecture. Further he said South Africa's economy should soon be able to generate 7 percent annual growth for years through economic plans currently being developed. "The plans we are now developing are in order for us to achieve a target growth rate of at least 7 percent per annum in the near future," he said. This as the country is still recovering from the first recession since 1992 following the global financial crisis. Official data realised this week showed that GDP growth slowed to 3.2 percent in the second quarter from 4.6 percent in the previous quarter. -BuaNews-Xinhua |
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