On November 3, 2023, Vice President Han of China was in Beijing to meet with Vice President Mashatil of South Africa and co chaired the eighth plenary meeting of the Sino South Bilateral Committee.

Han Zheng stated that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea 25 years ago, the bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development from partnership to strategic partnership and then to comprehensive strategic partnership. The political mutual trust, integration of interests, and people-to-people communication between the two sides continue to deepen, practical cooperation in various fields continues to advance, and multilateral cooperation is close and efficient. In August of this year, President Xi Jinping successfully paid a state visit to South Africa and reached a series of important consensus with President Ramafosa, pointing out the development direction for friendly cooperation between the two countries and pushing China South Africa relations into a "golden era".

Han Zheng said that the bilateral committees of China South Africa countries have always played a key role in coordinating cooperation in important areas between the two countries. This meeting fully exchanged views on the comprehensive implementation of the outcomes of the two heads of state meeting, deepening bilateral practical cooperation, and reaching broad consensus, which is of great significance for guiding and implementing future bilateral cooperation in various fields and promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and South Africa to break through waves. In the next stage, both sides need to continuously consolidate political mutual trust and continue to firmly support each other on issues related to each other's core interests, so that the traditional friendship between the two countries can be passed down. We should continue to deepen practical cooperation, take the opportunity of implementing the Ten Year Strategic Plan for Cooperation between China and South Africa, and expand cooperation space under the eight actions of high-quality joint construction of the "the Belt and Road". We need to enrich and expand cultural exchanges, and continue to promote cooperation between the two countries in fields such as education, healthcare, sports, culture, and tourism. We should actively strengthen international cooperation, deepen communication on issues such as climate change, food security, and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and enhance the representation and voice of countries from the South in global governance.

Han Zheng stated that in the current process of multipolarization in the world, the "African power" is constantly growing and the "African voice" is becoming louder. China is willing to work with African countries such as South Africa to strengthen cooperation on platforms such as the BRICS mechanism, the G20, and the United Nations, oppose group political confrontation, practice true multilateralism, jointly build a high-level community with a shared future for China and Africa, demonstrate the strength of developing countries' unity and self-improvement to the world, and inject more stability and positive energy into a turbulent and intertwined world.

Mashatili said that South Africa attaches great importance to the development of relations with China, firmly adheres to the one China policy, and is willing to work with China to give full play to the positive role of the bilateral committee mechanism in promoting the development of bilateral relations, consolidate and deepen South China strategic mutual trust, expand cooperation in various fields, strengthen the docking of the "the Belt and Road" initiative with the African Union's 2063 Agenda, and promote the continuous development of South China, Africa China relations.

Han Zheng and Mashatil é listened to reports from seven sub committees of the Sino South Countries Bilateral Committee on Foreign Affairs, Economy and Trade, Mines, Science and Technology, Energy, Education, and Marine Economy. Both sides agree that the sub committees of the two countries will fully implement the results of this meeting, solidly promote various work, and make greater contributions to promoting the deepening and strengthening of the China South Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and accelerating the construction of a high-level China South Community with a shared future.