BILATERAL trade between China and South Africa accounts for one quarter of China-Africa trade, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Cape Town, Lin Jing, said.

He was speaking at celebrations of the Chinese New Year at the Table Bay Hotel last night.

The year 2020 will be a milestone in the course of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he said.

It is not only a decisive year to fight poverty, but also the opening year for achieving the goal of the modernisation of the national governance system and capacity, Lin said.

“Today in China, after more than 40 years of reform, 850 million people have shaken off poverty. For every 100 people lifted out of poverty worldwide, more than 70 of them would have come from China. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the number of people living in poverty has drastically reduced from 98.99 million to 6 million, Lin pointed out.

“Every year for the past seven years, there were more than 10 million people lifted out of poverty, which is equivalent to the size of a population in a medium-sized country in Europe.

“This year, China will realise the goal of lifting all its rural population living under the poverty line, and all the impoverished counties out of poverty. The Chinese government’s determination, efforts and the national resources it has mobilised to fight poverty as well as the achievements are unprecedented in the world,” Lin said.

“Today, China has written the most successful poverty-alleviation stories and contributed its wisdom to the great cause of international development and poverty alleviation,” he said.

China’s investment and financing in South Africa has exceeded $25 billion dollars (R360bn), Lin said, while South Africa has been China’s largest trading partner in Africa for nine consecutive years.

“These figures highlight China’s unwavering support for South Africa’s economic and social transformation and development, and it will elaborate on the action-oriented and resultoriented essence of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and South Africa.

“There is no interval to the China-South

Africa co-operation, only forging ahead.

“We firmly believe that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China-South Africa relations will continue to achieve new records in history and reach a new high,” Lin said.