On December 12, 2024, Vice Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong met with outgoing Ambassador of South Africa to China Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Chen Xiaodong appreciated the contributions made by Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele to promote the development of China-South Africa relations during his tenure, and said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and South Africa become all-round strategic cooperative partners in the new era, and bilateral relations have entered into a "golden age", with a qualitative leap in cooperation across various fields. Chen Xiaodong expressed the hope that Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele will continue to care about and support the friendship between the two countries after leaving the post and returning to his country, and contribute to China-South Africa and China-Africa friendship.

Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele said that China is a reliable friend of South Africa that has withstood the test of historical changes. In recent years, South Africa-China cooperation has achieved fruitful results and benefited the people of both countries. He expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chinese side for the convenience and support provided for him in performing his duties in China. South Africa attaches great importance to the development of relations with China and will always firmly pursue the one-China policy.