Chinese Consul General in Durban, Li Zhigong: 2024 is milestone year for China-South African relations

The Chinese Consul General in Durban, Li Zhigong, expressed his intention to strengthen the longstanding ties between China and the province of KwaZulu-Natal. According to him, this will represent a new "golden era" in the history of bilateral relations. This is reported by Pretoria News, a partner of TV BRICS.

Li delivered his speech during a festive dinner in Durban organised to celebrate the Chinese New Year, marking the start of the Year of the Snake (2025).

“2024 is also a milestone year for China-South African relations. China has been South Africa’s largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years, with the bilateral trade volume reaching US$55.6 billion in 2023, which is about 35 times more since diplomatic relations between the countries was first established,” Li highlighted.

He also spoke about the fruitful cooperation between China and KwaZulu-Natal in areas such as agriculture, infrastructure, and industry. In particular, he mentioned the successful progress of the N3 highway interchange modernisation project being implemented by Chinese companies.