Chinese FM to visit South Africa, attend meetings in France, Switzerland

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will pay an official visit to South Africa, attend meetings in France and Switzerland from Oct. 17 to 23, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Wednesday.

Wang's visit is at the invitation of Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and member of the Federal Council and head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Federal Confederation Ignazio Cassis, Geng told a press briefing.

During Wang's visit to South Africa, he will meet with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and hold talks with Pandor.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit at U.N. headquarters in New York City, on September 23, 2019. [File Photo: Reuters via VCG/Carlo Allegri]

Geng said the purpose of this visit is to promote the implementation of the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen political mutual trust, enhance mutually beneficial cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the BRICS, the G20 and the United Nations, and elevate the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and South Africa in the new era to a new level.

During his visit to France, Wang will meet with French leaders, hold talks with Le Drian, and co-chair the fifth meeting of the China-France high-level mechanism for dialogue on people-to-People exchanges. The two sides will conduct in-depth exchanges on cooperation in people-to-people and cultural fields and exchange views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common interest.

"We hope that through this visit, we will further enhance China-France political mutual trust, enhance the level of cooperation between the two sides in various fields and push the bilateral relations in the new era to a new level," Geng said.

During Wang's visit to Switzerland, he will meet with President of Swiss Confederation Ueli Maurer and co-chair with Cassis the second round of foreign ministerial strategic dialogue between the two countries.

The establishment of a foreign ministers' strategic dialogue mechanism is an important measure to promote the development of China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership. The first round of dialogue was held in Beijing in April 2018, according to Geng.

"We believe the second round of dialogue will further promote the implementation of the important consensus of the two heads of state, consolidate political mutual trust and promote the in-depth development of China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership," Geng said.