Chinese president meets South Africa's president

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with South African Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on Monday in Beijing and pledged to further advance bilateral ties between the two countries. Xi said the China-South Africa relationship has entered a fast track of development, with their cooperation heading in a solid and orderly way over the past 15 years since they established diplomatic ties. Recalling his March visit to South Africa where he and President Jacob Zuma planned out the bilateral cooperation, Xi told Motlanthe that the two sides should make joint efforts to give play to the Bi-National Commission and other mechanisms to benefit the people of the two countries. The commission is a governmental body between the two countries to improve cooperation. With both being major developing countries and emerging markets, the China-South Africa relationship is of significance for China-Africa ties as well as peace and development of the world at large, said the Chinese president. "(We) hope the two sides will work together closely to further advance China-Africa ties," Xi said. Motlanthe said South Africa is ready to implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen their cooperation mechanisms, boost economic and cultural cooperation, and enhance coordination in international and regional affairs to elevate the bilateral relationship in a sustained way. Motlanthe is in Beijing to co-chair the Fifth Bi-National Commission Meeting with Chinese Vice President Li Yuanchao.