What role do China and South Africa play in each other's development plans? Is South Africa taking steps to scale up its relationship with China and if so what are these steps?   

The bilateral relationship between the two countries is grounded in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement (CSPA) signed by our respective leaders in August 2010, and which continues to guide our interaction between South Africa and China. As partners, the two countries can learn from each other on the best models to address the issue of socio-economic development in our respective countries.

In terms of bilateral trade China has become South Africa's largest trade partner while both sides are looking at ways of encouraging further trade, but concentrating on the quality of trade rather than the quantity. We enjoy cooperation in numerous fields and as a reflection of the growing ties between the two countries, our leaders in July 2012 proposed the establishment of Joint Work Group to coordinate the implementation of various bilateral projects.

Xavier Carim, Deputy Director General at the SA Department of Trade and Industry, has said that South Africa wants to align its interests to support the integration agenda in Africa, not just to focus on access to resources. What does this mean to you?

Trade between our countries is skewed in favor of China and so South Africa is running a trade deficit with China. Through discussions with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, South Africa and China have agreed to promote value-added exports from South Africa to China in order to lower the trade deficit and diversify trade away from primary commodities to include more manufactured goods.

In this light, South Africa will certainly be measuring future successes in trade relations by evaluating the reduction in the trade deficit and the increases in value-added exports from South Africa to China. The Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa, in partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce also jointly host what is known as the "South Africa Expos in China," the last of which was held last year in both Beijing and Shanghai. The purpose of the Expos is to expose Chinese buyers to a different range of South African exporters in various fields, including agro-processing, manufacturing, engineering, jewelry and many others. We are confident that as these Expos become widely known, the opportunity for sustainable partnerships between the business communities of the two countries will be expanded, thus leading to a more equal trading relationship.