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S. Africa in bid to boost trade, investment with China

SOUTH Africa, best known for its mining resources, has embarked on a drive to enrich its image among Chinese people as a country of very diversified products, while introducing them to every color of this "rainbow nation."

Lionel October, director general of the Department of Trade and Industry in South Africa, said in Shanghai today that his country wanted to step up trade and investment with China to a higher level.

"There is a wide range of well-developed industries in South Africa that are not known to Chinese people," October said. "We hope to better cooperate with China and build up a closer and longer-term tie in trade and investment."

Except rich mineral resources, October said South Africa had competitive advantages in sectors like agricultural products, wine, automobiles and chemicals. He was leading a business delegation to Shanghai to seek trade opportunities for South African producers while drawing Chinese foreign direct investment to the African nation.

Thandi Wines was one member of the delegation, and General Manager Vernon Henn said the company was looking for a Chinese partner to retail its wine products in China.

"With demand in Europe and the United States shrinking, we look upon the Chinese mainland as a strategic market," Henn said.

Even in traditional areas like mining, there was space for more cooperation between the countries.

As China overtook South Africa as the world's biggest gold producer last year, the veteran gold refiner was willing to trade its experience and technology with China, said Peter Bouwer, chief strategy officer at Rand Refinery, another member in the delegation.

South Africa is dubbed as the rainbow nation – a term coined by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu to describe the country's multi-cultural population in the post-apartheid era.



 

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