The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor, will lead a South African delegation of senior government officials to the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Coordinators’ Meeting, scheduled to take place from 24 to 25 June 2019 in Beijing, China.
The purpose of the meeting is to accelerate the implementation of the outcomes of the 2018 FOCAC Summit.
The meeting will be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Senegal, respectively. The foreign ministers of all the African member states have been invited and are expected to attend the meeting.
About the outcomes of the 2018 Beijing Summit
The most important outcome of the 2018 Beijing Summit was the eight new measures announced by President Xi Jinping, to be implemented during a three-year period of the FOCAC from 2019 to 2021, namely the:
- Industrial Promotion Initiative
- Infrastructure Connectivity Initiative
- Trade Facilitation Initiative
- green development actions
- capacity-building activities
- Healthcare Initiative
- People-to-People Exchange Initiative
- Peace and Security Initiative.
In addition, President XI Jinping also pledged the second tranche of US$60 billion to finance these initiatives consisting of:
- US$15 billion of grants, interest-free loans and concessional loans
- US$20 billion of credit lines
- US$10 billion special fund for development financing
- US$5 billion special fund for financing imports from Africa
- Chinese companies will be ”encouraged” to invest at least US$10 billion in in Africa in the next three years.
South Africa’s priority projects under FOCAC include:
- Mzimvubu Water Project
- Moloto Rail Development Corridor-Integrated transport link between Gauteng and Mpumalanga
- refurbishment of two sites in Gauteng for vocational training centres
- Gauteng Science and High Technology Special Economic Zone
- Oceans Economy (Operation Phakisa)
- Aquaculture: Amatikulu Aquaculture Development Zone in KwaZulu-Natal and Qolora Aquaculture Development Zone in the Eastern Cape
- small harbours namely, Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape, Port St Johns in the Eastern Cape and Hibberdene in KwaZulu-Natal
- implement flexible ship-repair capacity (floating dock) and conduct market-demand analysis for marine manufacturing
- establish a new boat-building facility at the Port of East London as a catalytic project to grow the Eastern Cape economy
- construct a new berth 205 at the Port of Saldanha to support rig repairs
- upgrade and extend the General Maintenance Quay to an Offshore Supply Base
- develop a ship/rig-repair facility at Mossgas Jetty.
Enquiries:
Lunga Ngqengelele
Cell: 082 566 0446
Email: ngqengelelel@dirco.gov.za
