Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with her counterpart in the Chongqing province in China.
The signing of the MoU commits Gauteng and the Chongqing provincial administration to a number of strategic objectives, among them their ambition to strengthen investment.
This will allow Chinese business to invest in Gauteng while giving Gauteng businesses an equal opportunity to explore new opportunities in China.
During the ceremony, Premier Mokonyane said the MoU would promote mutual bilateral relations and also enhance friendly exchanges and cooperation between Gauteng and Chongqing.
“We want to commit to have a functional relationship. The MEC for Economic Development Qedani Mahlangu, working together with your municipality, will make this MoU a living document,” said Mokonyane.
She said in their quarterly meeting with all mayors, they would reflect of the progress made regarding the MoU.
In the MoU, both parties have agreed to encourage cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, tourism infrastructure, manufacturing automotive and motorcycle, education, arts and culture.
The agreement would also facilitate trade ventures in agriculture, infrastructure, freight and logistics, transportation, resources exploration and development.
The electronics and information technology, civil aviation and aerospace sectors in which China is also a respected player would also form part of the areas in which the two countries would establish business relations.
Mokonyane said the cooperation in the area of Information Communications and Technology (ICT) would be vital as Gauteng was in a process of creating a smart city in Nasrec, Johannesburg that “will enhance communication between South Africa and the world.”
The Premier and the Mayor of Chongqing will meet once a year either in Gauteng or Chongqing to exercise oversight on progress in order to keep the MoU active and this will be reviewed after three years.
Both parties agreed to enhance the establishment of city-to-city tie while promoting the comprehensive cooperation between the two parties in different areas.
Chongqing Mayor, Huang Qifan said he welcomed South African companies who wanted to do business in his city as there were plenty opportunities.
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Gauteng and China’s Chongqing province sign trade deal
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