Chinese Consul General in Durban, Li Zhigong: 2024 is milestone year for China-South African relations
This was stated during a gala dinner held in Durban, South Africa, in honour of the Chinese New Year
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.
Photo: iStock-
![]()
Society11.09.26Russian Deputy Foreign Minister: BRICS Summit in India to consolidate group's role as flagship of multilateralism -
![]()
Society11.09.26Broadcast of BRICS Summit in India to be available to TV BRICS website users -
![]()
Society10.09.26India expands its presence in TV BRICS international media space -
![]()
Society09.09.26International scientists uncover reason behind slowdown in star formation -
![]()
Society08.09.26Bolivian cinema joins TV BRICS media space -
![]()
Society07.09.26Fossils of multicellular animals discovered in China shed light on evolution before Cambrian explosion
-
![Ashok Mondal]()
Ashok MondalNID Director"Signing this Memorandum of Understanding between the National Institute of Design (NID) and TV BRICS marks a pivotal milestone in advancing design diplomacy across the BRICS media space. This moment is especially significant as India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit, following India’s assumption of the BRICS chairship under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The partnership directly embodies his call to elevate Indian design standards through 'Design in India, Design for the World'. Through the global reach and broadcast capabilities of TV BRICS, we are excited to showcase the extraordinary visual storytelling, films, and design research of NID’s Film and Video Communication students to an international audience, while also welcoming and screening film works from BRICS network countries at NID Ahmedabad. This reciprocal exchange strengthens our shared commitment to educational, cultural, and artistic collaboration, fostering sustainable connections among global creative communities. NID Ahmedabad looks forward to leveraging this partnership to deepen cross-cultural dialogue, build international expert networks, and unlock transformative opportunities for filmmakers, researchers, and faculty across member nations" -
![Vladimir Putin]()
Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia"We are developing mutual trade, which is growing; it increased by over 12 per cent last year. We have a joint commission working in this sphere. Our focus is on agriculture, shipbuilding, information technology and energy, including nuclear power. We have signed a free trade agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Indonesia. Jakarta is our reliable and old friend within ASEAN. We are working together at all international platforms, including the UN" -
![Vladimir Putin]()
Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia"More and more Iranian students are choosing Russian education. We are very pleased about this. A great many future doctors are studying in Russia. In the 2025–2026 academic year, the number of Iranian students in Russia approached 10,000, with 802 of them studying at the expense of the Russian state budget" -
![Xi Jinping]()
Xi JinpingPresident of the People’s Republic of China"The foundation of our bilateral relations will only grow stronger, and we will confidently move forward to a better future. […] The striving of nations on our planet for peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit remains unchanged. The vital mission of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is to maintain stability and promote the development of our region" -
![Alisher Salomov]()
Alisher SalomovAdviser to the Chairman of the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan"First and foremost, I would like to highlight the importance of this Central Asia–Russia initiative, because environmental problems know no borders, and only a shared understanding of these problems and the search for joint solutions can deliver positive results"
