PRETORIA:His Excellency Chen Xiaodong,the Chinese Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa has congratulated Absa Group for establishing an office in Beijing.
The Ambassador was speaking during the official launch of the Absa Group China Office last week in an event that was attended by,among others,Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana.
His Excellency Ambassador Chen said,this venture demonstrates the importance the Group attaches to the Chinese market and its confidence in investing in China, and speaks volumes to the sustained rapid development of China-South Africa relations and the deepening of the bilateral financial cooperation in recent years.
It has been reported that,China values greatly, the financial cooperation with South Africa and during President Xi Jinping’s recent visit,the two Presidents reached important consensus on issues that include strengthening bilateral financial cooperation.
Ambassador Chen said the year 2024 is the first year after China-South Africa relations entered the Golden Era,he said “this is a year for both countries to implement the important consensus of the two Presidents”.
This year,a new Forum on China-Africa Cooperation meeting will be held in Beijing.
“South African companies are most welcome to use the opportunity to go to China,to become dedicated participants in China’s big market, facilitators of China’s business environment, contributors to China-South Africa economic and trade cooperation, and communicators to the world about China’s opening-up policy,thus contributing more Golden Fruits to the Golden Era”, said the Ambassador.
On another note,Finance Minister Minister Godongwana also expressed his warm congratulations on the establishment of the Absa office in Beijing,he said this is an important step for Absa to go global,and points to the future strategic direction for Africa’s development.
It is a concrete example of the fruitful achievements made over the past 25 years since South Africa and China established diplomatic relations, and it implements the important consensus of the two Presidents on advancing bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
Minister Godongwana further stressed the importance the South African government attaches to cooperation with China, and believed China’s role as the world’s second largest economy cannot be ignored.
South Africa will continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China,encourage capable South African enterprises to explore the Chinese market,and welcome Chinese companies to invest in South Africa.He believed the bilateral cooperation will bring more mutual benefits for the two countries, and inject new vitality into the development of Africa and China.
Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Chen Xiaodong congratulates Absa Group for establishing an office in Beijing.