By Dipo Olowookere
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance liaison and cooperation in the fields of export, import, investment, business information and other commerce-orientated activities has been sealed by the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.
The agreement, for the benefit of members of both organisations, was signed this week at the SA-China Zhejiang Trade and Investment Symposium in Sandton.
The main objective of the symposium was to bring together South African businesspeople and their counterparts from China, with the aim of establishing long-lasting and mutually beneficial trade and investment relations. The symposium was also another platform to strengthen bilateral trade relations China.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Director of Investment Promotions at the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Ambassador Sadick Jaffer said the MoU would ensure that concrete relations were cemented and business opportunities would be explored in different sectors identified in the MoU.
“Our engagements through platforms of this nature also reflect our common determination to take our economic relations to greater heights. There are also great opportunities for South African and Chinese businesspeople to explore cooperation in infrastructure construction projects such as roads, railways, ports, power generation, airports and housing,” said Ambassador Jaffer.
He further said the cooperation and collaborations between businesspeople from both China and South Africa were encouraged in order to deepen trade relations.
Speaking at the same event, the Vice Chairman of Standing Committee of Zhejiang Provincial People’s Congress, Mr Wang Huizhong, said the MoU would provide good opportunities to businesspeople in both China and South Africa.
He urged businesspeople to take advantage of the opportunities provided in the MoU and collaborate or form joint-ventures to explore them.
Adedapo Adesanya