Vice President of China visiting South Africa

Vice President Xi Jinping is visiting is visiting South Africa the week of the 16th of November 2010. He arrives after making a visit to Singapore and will visit Botswana and Angola after South Africa.

His visit to South Africa further cements China South African ties and is a followup after China and South Africa signed the Comprehensive Strategic partnership in August this year.

South Africa has the largest number of Chinese living in Africa, estimated at over 300,000.

Chinese investments in South Africa has increased and will continue to increase given the good relations between the South Africa and China. Bi-lateral trade between the two countries reached over USD$16billion in 2009 and is estimated to have exceeded over USD$10billion during the first 6months of this year.

Part of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement states that both sides will investigate ways to improve the trade between the two countries and seek ways to move towards a more balanced form of trade between the two countries.