19 December 2006
Just weeks after the forum on China-Africa co-operation, Premier Sibusiso
Ndebele said today a high level technical task team will be formed with
Shanghai and KwaZulu-Natal.
The city of Shanghai has in place since 2001 a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with KwaZulu-Natal in the areas of science, health and culture.
Just a few weeks ago the President of South Africa, Mr Thabo Mbeki, met in
Beijing together with 48 African countries to participate in the forum on
China-Africa co-operation.
At this forum the common goals of peace, co-operation and development
between China and Africa was not only re-confirmed but saw the pledge by
Chinese President Hu Jintao to, amongst others double development assistance to
Africa by 2009, help train African professionals build rural schools in Africa
and deploy agricultural experts and build special agricultural technology
centres.
In Shanghai today Premier Ndebele, who is leading an official delegation
including MEC for Agriculture Mtholephi Mthimkhulu and senior officials of the
KwaZulu-Natal provincial government, said it was imperative that KwaZulu-Natal
and Shanghai use the opportunities opened by both countries' Presidents.
Premier Ndebele held back to back meetings with the Vice Mayor of Shanghai,
Tang Dengjie and Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Agriculture, Lei
Decai yesterday Premier Ndebele, who visited China two years ago said his visit
then sparked an agrarian revolution in our province. Today ordinary people
particularly in rural areas are engaged in number of dry land and mushroom
farming projects using expertise from the Fujian Province and particularly its
major university.
Shanghai is a city with a population of 20 million people. It is the largest
economic and transportation centre in China. It has witnessed rapid expansion
in its high and new technology industries in recent years in electronic
telecommunications, biology and medicine.
Mr Decai praised the KwaZulu-Natal government for its innovative measures
used to alleviate poverty and create a province on a path to growth.
He remarked that most of the city's fresh produce comes from other provinces
and are even imported, particularly beef.
With Shanghai boasting the busiest port on the Chinese coastland, Mr Decai
said he could not see why KwaZulu-Natal and Shanghai could form a mutual
relationship.
Premier Ndebele added that a high level technical task team would be formed
to build on areas of co-operation and groups of experts from both countries
will work on what will be of "mutual benefit".
The technical team in essence is going to look at certain areas of shared
interest for both KwaZulu-Natal and Shanghai such as agriculture, tourism and
trade. This team will develop concrete projects that are viable and based on
our particular needs and interests.
An example of technical shared expertise in like the case of the mushroom
project that has been adopted in KwaZulu-Natal after Premier Ndebele's visit to
Fujian Province two years ago.
In that instance a team of agriculture experts came to South Africa
experimented with dry land rice and the cultivation of mushrooms. Today
thousands of rural dwellers have adopted this scheme.
The technical co-operation will signify direct foreign trade and investment,
increase in tourism and create job opportunities for locals.
Premier Ndebele said, "We are not using the potential we have as best as we
should. China has become an industrial giant for the whole world. In our
province we have a lot of land and plenty of unemployment."
"People can be put to work to become productive. They can move from being
unemployed to employed and to self-employed.
"Only when people know there is a market out there for them, they would
start producing the goods."
The meetings today gave hope for vast co-operation and a relationship that
could further create successful nations and communities.
Discussions about technical aspects of the co-operation between the two
countries will start in January.
Premier Ndebele added that technical co-operation will also take place
regarding China's planning of its infrastructure for the Beijing Olympics Games
2008.
Last week, Premier Ndebele signed a MoU with the Fujian Province more
specifically looking at areas of science, agriculture and education.
For more information contact:
Farhana Ismail
Cell: 0828891278
Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
19 December 2006
Source: SAPA
