Consolidating the Political Foundation of Sino

Consolidating the Political Foundation of Sino-SA Relations

—The Relationship between the Communist Party of China and Political Parties in South Africa

By Mr. Zhong Weiyun, Deputy Director-general , African Affairs Bureau,

International Department of the CPC Central Committee

Due to the practice of racist policies and apartheid by the white South African regime, there had been no state level relations between China and South Africa prior to the early 1990s. However, there has been a long history of friendship between the Communist Party of China and the national liberation organizations and political parties of South Africa. Inter-party links have been one of the major channels of exchange and communication between the two countries. They have served as a tie of friendship between the two peoples.

Soon after the founding of the People’s Republic, the Chinese government and the CPC began to render solidarity and support of different forms to the South African people in their struggle. Starting from the 1950s, the CPC successively associated with the major South African liberation organizations. In the early years of the 1960s, delegations were dispatched respectively by the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) to visit China. Cadres were also sent to China for study and training. However, such associations with the ANC and the SACP were later broken down for a time due to the Sino-Soviet polemics and were then resumed in the mid 1980s. Since then, the CPC and South African political parties have maintained frequent contacts. ANC leaders including Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki, Patrick Lekhota, Cheryl Carolus and Kgakema Motlanthe, as well as successive General Secretaries of the SACP visited China on various occasions as guests of the CPC. Many senior leaders of the CPC also visited South Africa.

The CPC’s ties with South African political parties, especially the ANC and the SACP, have played an important role in promoting the relations of the two countries. First of all, they provided a bridge of understanding and friendship for the peoples of the two countries by breaking through the barriers set by the South African apartheid regime. Secondly, direct involvement of many top leaders of the CPC, the ANC and the SACP in the party-to-party exchange activities has contributed to better understanding and deeper friendship between the leadership of the two countries. Thirdly, the party-to-party friendship exerted a significant impact on the establishment of normal diplomatic relations between the two countries. Due to various reasons, the new South Africa did not establish diplomatic ties with China immediately after its birth. During that period, the ANC and the SACP, which had been in close links with the CPC, both demanded the new South African government to set up diplomatic ties with China. The National Executive Committee of the ANC even adopted a resolution in this regard. The efforts made by the ANC and the SACP helped greatly to urge the South African government to be officially associated with China by getting over the obstructions laid down by Taiwan. Such efforts also laid a foundation for the later rapid development of the bilateral relationship. Just as President Mbeki put it, the party-to-party relationship has served as the political foundation of the overall relationship between the two countries. Deputy President Jacob Zuma also referred to the friendship between the ANC and the CPC as long-standing and as the basis to develop friendly relations between China and South Africa.

After the establishment of diplomatic relations, the friendly cooperation between the CPC and the major members of the South African ruling alliance, including the ANC and SACP, has continued to expand in a comprehensive way. More delegations are being exchanged to visit each other every year. Forms of exchanges are more diversified. Apart from official delegations, groups of experts are brought together to hold discussions on issues of common interest. Teams of party cadres are exchanged on study trips or fact-finding missions. The content of resultant exchanges has also become more enriched. In addition to strengthening political ties, the two sides also seek to facilitate economic and trade cooperation between the two countries through party-to-party relations.

The CPC attaches great importance to the continued development of the relationship with the ruling tripartite alliance in South African and will, as always, make an effort to further consolidate the political foundation of Sino-SA relations. Just as President Hu Jintao said when meeting the ANC delegation in 1999, the CPC places great balue on the friendly cooperation with the ANC. Consolidated friendship and cooperation between the two parties, with both sides trying to learn from each other’s experience in running the party and the country, will not only be conducive to the party building and the national construction of the two sides, but will also give a powerful impetus to the overall development of the relationship between the two countries.