Strategic partnership MoU signed between Houde Institute and Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) in South Africa

Johannesburg, June 9 (People’s Daily Online) – On June 6, 2020, a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation was signed between Houde Institute and the Inclusive Society Institute (ISI, South Africa).

Wang Hongjuan, President of Houde Institute, pointed out in her speech at the signing ceremony that China is the largest developing country in the world and Africa is the continent with the largest number of developing countries. Both the Inclusive Society Institute and Houde Institute are emerging think-tanks. By promoting institutionalized exchanges of scholars, conducting joint research, co-sponsoring academic seminars, and practising track two diplomacy, the two institutes can help share the experience of both countries in good governance, improve understanding between the two peoples and provide intellectual support for better policies from the two governments. The Houde Institute will work with the Inclusive Society Institute to promote the inclusive development of the two countries and further contribute to the UN 2030 Agenda and the 2063 Agenda of Africa.

Professor Zweli Ndevu warmly welcomed the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two institutes. The ISI, according to him, is committed to improving the democracy, social participation and economic development of South Africa and beyond. He said the ISI is ready to work with the Houde Institute to come up with areas for joint research, policy analysis and consulting work. Their cooperation is a south-south agreement that will provide “south developmental solutions” for the multiple challenges posed by Covid-19 and in the post-pandemic era.

Fu Chengyu, former Chairperson of Sinopec Group and a practical professor at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, pointed out in his speech that both China and South Africa have prioritized their economic and social development, however, only South Africa knows best what it really needs. Chinese companies in Africa should adapt localization strategies and contribute to job creation and local economic development.

Daryl Swannepoel, CEO of the Inclusive Society Institute, noted that the agreement with Houde is the first international formal cooperative agreement that ISI is entering into. China is South Africa’s largest trading partner, and a country with which international policy coordination is high on the agenda. This means that their collective efforts can make a meaningful contribution to the inter-regional and global policy discourse.

Representatives from both sides discussed the international trend in the post-Covid-19 era and had their first working-level dialogue. Wei Dongze, Secretary-General of the South Africa-China Economic & Trade Association, made congratulatory remarks for both sides on behalf of Chinese enterprises in South Africa, and expressed his expectation for the early start of substantive cooperation between the two sides and the willingness of Chinese enterprises to offer the necessary support for cooperation between the two institutes.

The cooperation agreement between the two sides aims to provide a platform for exchange, dialogue and cooperation between experts and scholars from China and Africa. Meanwhile, by conducting joint research on topics of common concern and evaluating existing and potential problems, the think tanks hope to initiate forward-looking and innovative suggestions and proposals for decision-makers from both sides, and further contribute to the progress of the "Belt and Road Initiative" in Africa, and China’s comprehensive, in-depth and stable relations with the continent.