Chinese consulate holds National Day reception in Cape Town

You Wenze (2nd L), Chinese consul-general in Cape Town, and guests cut a birthday cake during a reception commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at the Chinese Consulate-General in Cape Town, South Africa, Sept. 20, 2024. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

Cape Town, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Consulate-General in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, hosted a reception on Friday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which will be celebrated on Oct. 1.

The event, held at the premises of the consulate, was attended by approximately 300 guests, including South African National Assembly House Chairperson Cedric Frolick, Western Cape Economic Development and Tourism Department Head Jo-Ann Johnston, and various government officials, diplomats, and representatives of Chinese businesses.

In his welcoming speech, You Wenze, Chinese consul-general in Cape Town, said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and South Africa, their bilateral relations have achieved leapfrog development and their special friendly relationship of "comrades and brothers" has been continuously consolidated and deepened.

He noted that during South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's state visit to China in early September, the two countries agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to "an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era."

Addressing the event, Frolick said that South Africa sees China as "a reliable ally, a reliable friend, a reliable brother, a reliable sister," and cherishes the special and ever-growing friendship between the two countries and their people.

"As we are recommitting ourselves to working together to build a high quality South Africa-China relationship with a shared future, we will also carry forward the friendship, consolidate the mutual trust, expand cooperation, and enhance coordination," he said. "While the two heads of state will play a leading role, it will ultimately be up to all of us to implement and to realize these noble objectives very soon."

In her speech at the reception, Johnston stressed that the Western Cape, the sister province of China's Shandong Province, certainly has been part of the strong relationship and the bilateral exchanges between the countries.

She noted that her province is looking forward to the relationships even further affirmed and strengthened. "I look forward to continuing to strengthen the relationship between our two countries and the various regions on the sub-national level, so to the prosperity of China and South Africa, and to the longevity of our friendship as two nations," Johnston said.