Minister for Public Service and Administration, Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, has called for a deepening of Africa-China relations centred on shared values, knowledge exchange, youth development, and ethical governance.
Minister Buthelezi addressed a seminar in Pretoria on Friday, themed ‘Forging an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era’, hosted by the China International Communications Group Centre for Europe and Africa, marking 25 years of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
Minister Buthelezi stressed that, for Africa and China relations to move from an equal footing, they need to evolve from infrastructure investment to broader strategic partnerships aimed at sustainable development and human capital growth for the next era of global development.
“When the story of Africa and China is told decades from now, I believe it will not only be a story of roads and railways, of ports and pipelines. But it will be the story of ideas exchanged, of values shared, and of a generation that rose to define leadership in a new and challenging era,” said Minister Buthelezi
Central to Minister Buthelezi’s message was the inclusion of African youth in sustainable developmental initiatives.
“We need to ensure that they are not just passive observers of global shifts, but rather active participants in shaping the destiny of their nations and the global community,” he said.
The seminar also featured inputs from Ambassador Dr Siyabonga Cwele and former Ambassador Gert Grobler, who both acknowledged the importance of the strategic partnership between China and Africa while decrying the recent shift towards trade protectionism.
“It is now more important than ever to strengthen relations with China and other progressive allies in the face of protectionism and an unpredictable economic relations with the West.”
