South African President Cyril Ramaphosa briefs the media on his state visit to China and attendance of FOCAC summit in Beijing on September 5, 2024. Photo: Wang Wenwen/GT

South Africa is grateful for the manner in which China conducts its relationship - with recognition, respect and due regard for one another - not only with South Africa but also with the rest of the African continent, said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who described it as a relationship of good quality.

Ramaphosa made these remarks at a media briefing in Beijing on Thursday during his state visit to China, during which he is attending the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which runs from Wednesday to Friday.

"Without comparing China with any other part of the world, we have found China to be very progressive in its relations with Africa, and we are very appreciative of the FOCAC relationship we have as a continent, because we see it foster a mutually beneficial relationship," the South African president said in response to a question from the Global Times. 

Ramaphosa also briefed the media of the purposes and achievements of his visit to China. During his stay in China, the two countries announced the elevation of bilateral ties to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

Ramaphosa said that South Africa is interested in receiving more investment from China in electric vehicles, which he believes to be the future. He emphasized that South Africa is not being lobbied by the West to reject investment from China and would like those countries not to impose their will on South Africa, a country eager to foster economic development. 

"We want to remain sovereign politically and economically, and when it comes to foreign policy as well. Our view is that our journey to developing our economy should not be held back by anxieties and fears that some countries have about other countries with which we have relationships," the president said. 

Ramaphosa recognized that China has a lot of experience and technological capabilities that it can share with South Africa. 

"We are pretty straightforward and say we want to learn. We want to see how China has reached this level of great development. They already have done exactly what we are seeking to do. So our presence here is to draw from the history of their experience and the journey they have traversed," he said. 

The state visit also provided an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on pressing regional and global issues, he noted. As South Africa prepares to assume the presidency of the G20 in 2025, this dialogue is essential for shaping the future of multilateral cooperation, said the South African president.