On 16 October, the Chinese Consulate-General in Cape Town hosted the China—Western Cape Economic and Trade Cooperation Meeting. Consul-General Ren Faqiang attended and delivered remarks, while Deputy Consul-General Wang Xiao chaired the meeting. Attendees included Ms Deidré Baartman, Western Cape Minister of Finance; Ms Rene Kok, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Infrastructure; and Mr Roderick Thyssen, Director of International Relations of the Western Cape Government. Representatives of several Chinese enterprises in the consular district attended the meeting and engaged in discussions.

Consul General Ren stated in his remarks that practical cooperation at the local level is an important component of the China–South Africa All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the New Era. He expressed the Consulate-General’s readiness to serve as a bridge between the Western Cape Government and Chinese enterprises, facilitating communication and promoting tangible cooperation.

Minister Baartman highlighted the Western Cape Government’s strong commitment to cooperation with Chinese enterprises in energy, infrastructure, finance, manufacturing and shipping, and expressed her hope to explore further opportunities for collaboration. Representatives of the participating enterprises introduced their business operations and cooperation interests, followed by lively exchanges and in-depth discussions between government officials and business representatives, fostering closer engagement and opening up new opportunities for practical cooperation.