On November 23, 2025 local time, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang met with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile in Johannesburg.

Li Qiang said that China and South Africa are good friends and good brothers enjoying a deep friendship. In September last year, President Xi Jinping met with President Cyril Ramaphosa in Beijing and reached important common understandings on deepening the development of bilateral relations. China is ready to work with South Africa to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, further enhance political mutual trust, firmly support each other, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and deliver more outcomes of the China-South Africa all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

Li Qiang noted that China is ready to accelerate coordination with South Africa, and help more quality and competitive South African products enter the Chinese market by negotiating and signing an agreement on economic partnership for shared development and advancing in South Africa the early implementation of China's zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines for African countries having diplomatic relations with China. China supports more competitive Chinese companies in investing in South Africa and enhancing cooperation in such areas as new energy, automobiles, healthcare, digital economy and infrastructure, to broaden and upgrade bilateral cooperation and better serve the modernization of both countries. Li Qiang expressed the hope that South Africa will better protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and the safety of their personnel. China-South Africa cooperation has long played a leading and demonstrative role in China-Africa cooperation. China is ready to strengthen communication with South Africa within frameworks including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), promote the implementation of the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and jointly create a bright future of development and prosperity for China and Africa. The two sides should step up multilateral coordination and cooperation and work with the wider Global South countries to promote a more just and equitable international order.

Paul Mashatile expressed sincere gratitude for China's strong support in South Africa's successful hosting of the G20 Summit. South Africa firmly upholds the one-China policy and is willing to take the implementation of China's zero-tariff treatment in African countries as an opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, industry, agriculture, digital economy, green development and other fields, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges, so as to advance the sustained and in-depth development of the all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between the two countries. South Africa welcomes Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country, and will spare no effort to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and companies. South Africa highly commends the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, and is willing to work with China to maintain close multilateral communication and coordination, uphold multilateralism, safeguard the authority of the United Nations, and promote the common development and prosperity of Global South countries.