OPENING REMARKS SA-CHINA CONFERENCE _1_

Opening remarks delivered by Mr. Fred Phaswana at a conference commemorating 10 years of formal diplomatic relations between South Africa and China, hosted by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in South Africa.

• China has transitioned from a state-controlled economy to a "state-driven entrepreneurial nation," resulting in significant economic growth. Between 1970 and the time of the remarks, China's GDP grew from $106 billion to over $1.3 trillion, and since the late 1970s, more than 400 million people were lifted out of poverty.
• Bilateral relations between South Africa and China have seen significant economic growth, with two-way trade reaching US$9.86 billion in 2006. A major investment milestone occurred in 2007 when the ICBC purchased 20% of Standard Bank for US$5.46 billion, which is noted as the largest investment from China into Africa to date.
• South Africa has faced significant socio-economic challenges since the onset of democratisation 15 years prior to the remarks, including the legacy of apartheid, high unemployment, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and inadequate basic public services.
• The conference aims to explore how the relationship between South Africa and China can be used to benefit the wider African continent, specifically regarding development, stability, and the restructuring of multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the WTO.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (n.d.). OPENING REMARKS SA-CHINA CONFERENCE _1_. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/chap_con_opening_remarks_sa_china_conference_20080605.pdf

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. OPENING REMARKS SA-CHINA CONFERENCE _1_. n.d. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/chap_con_opening_remarks_sa_china_conference_20080605.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=OPENING REMARKS SA-CHINA CONFERENCE _1_ |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/chap_con_opening_remarks_sa_china_conference_20080605.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairsndopening, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{OPENING REMARKS SA-CHINA CONFERENCE \_1\_}}, publisher = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/chap_con_opening_remarks_sa_china_conference_20080605.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }