There is much excitement in South Africa about the Year of China after a successful launch of the year-long event at the State Theater in capital Pretoria. At the inaugural ceremony, artists from China and South Africa provided a large appreciative audience the opportunity to engage in an eclectic mix of entertainment. Ancient Chinese folk songs sung by African singers and South African mining songs sung by Chinese tenors all created a rapport that lies at the heart of the Sino-South African relationship.

The 2015 Year of China in South Africa is a powerful catalyst that will add impetus to the express progress in Sino-African relations. It comes on the back of extensive recent efforts to strengthen these ties, which include Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to South Africa in 2013, the Year of South Africa in China and President Jacob Zuma's state visit to China in 2014. The Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will be hosted in South Africa at the end of this year.

Underpinned by the strong cultural connection that creates and fosters a universal language, the Year of China in South Africa will include over 200 activities this year in all corners of the country, covering politics, the economy, and trade and technology.

But after the business deals and political and diplomatic exchanges have been made and the dust settles, what remains is the people-to-people interaction. Culture remains the most unobtrusive way to solve problems, overcome differences and create understanding. Through the Year of China in South Africa, culture is being elevated to a level of great importance. Both the government and businesses in China have woken up to the realization that culture must be given top priority if cooperation with Africa is to remain sustainable.

There still exists much misunderstanding between Chinese and Africans. Vastly different languages, customs, temperaments and visions of the world around them can create barriers between people -  even if unintentionally. Often, despite the desire to learn more, South Africans on the ground do not have the opportunities that businesspeople and officials have of interacting with Chinese. In addition, often efforts by governments to promote cultural dialogue and interaction happen in a different space to that of non-governmental organizations. This gap needs to be closed and dynamic cultural exchanges need to become more holistic and organic. In line with this, the Year of China in South Africa has a big role to play in ensuring that at the end of 2015, South Africans from all walks of life have a greater insight into Chinese culture, understand how China and South Africa can benefit from each other, and the doubts and bias about China's growing presence in Africa can be positively eroded. 

THE EDITOR