Fresh from signing 26 trade deals worth R94 billion with China, president Jacob Zuma has praised the country’s contribution to peacekeeping in Africa, and the world.<\/p>\n
President Zuma also thanked the Asian country, South Africa’s biggest trade partner, by waiving visa requirements for Chinese diplomats entering the country.<\/p>\n
News24 reported that China had participated in around 16 United Nations peacekeeping missions in Africa and currently had 2,000 peacekeeping personnel on the ground.<\/p>\n
“We appreciate this commitment to peace, development and progress.<\/p>\n
“It gives practical meaning to the belief of President Xi [Jinping] that China’s military capability must be utilised to achieve peace,” Zuma told the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation at the Sandton Convention Centre.<\/p>\n
“Tragically, we are… witnessing increasing incidents of terrorism in parts of our continent, France and elsewhere,” he said.<\/p>\n
“There can be no lasting military solution to this problem. It needs political, social and economic solutions to ensure sustainability.”<\/p>\n
Earlier Jinping said China supported the settlement of African issues by Africans in the African way.<\/p>\n
Addressing the opening ceremony of the China-Africa summit, on Friday, Zuma\u00a0 said China’s position globally is for peace and development.<\/p>\n
“The strength of China is there to defend the vulnerables, is there to ensure there is no more any war in the world,” Zuma said.<\/p>\n