AQSIQ Vice Minister Li Yuanping led a delegation to South Africa from February 22 to 27, 2017. Li Yuanping, at invitation, attended the launching ceremony of the Operation Phakisa: Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development on February 24. With agriculture being an important part, the Operation Phakisa aims to promote the rapid economic and social transition and development in South Africa. South African President Zuma gave high comments of China-South Africa cooperation, and witnessed the signing of the MOU between AQSIQ and South Africa Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) concerning entry and exit animal quarantine cooperation, as well as the protocol on the sanitary requirements of frozen beef to be exported from South Africa to China. Following the signing ceremony, President Zuma met with Vice Minister Li Yuanping and the Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Mr. Tian Xuejun.
During the meeting, President Zuma sang highly of the China-South Africa comprehensive partnership, and emphasized that the market access of South African frozen beef to the Chinese market would play an active role in promoting the implementation of the Operation Phakisa and the overall economic and social development of South Africa. Zuma asked the delegation to extend his warm regards and sincere gratitude to President Xi Jinping, and stated his goodwill of furthering China-South Africa cooperation in various fields and enhancing the bilateral cooperation to a new level. Li Yuanping thanked President Zuma for receiving the delegation, and said that the agreement on conditional importation of South African frozen beef manifested the furthered cooperation between the two countries in the inspection and quarantine area, and would serve as an important measure in furthering the healthy development of the bilateral economic and trade ties. Li said that AQSIQ is willing to work together with its South African counterparts to further communication and cooperation toward an earliest commencement of bilateral trade in South African frozen beef, so as to benefit the two peoples.
With the aim of implementing the spirit of President Xi Jinping’s speech in Johannesburg, AQSIQ arranged this visit to further bilateral inspection and quarantine cooperation, and promote bilateral trade development. During the visit, the delegation met respectively with the South African Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Mr. Senzeni Zokwana and the South African Minister of Environmental Affairs Mrs. Edna Molewa, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.
Officials from the Department of Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine, Import and Export Food Safety Bureau and Department of International Cooperation of AQSIQ and Department of Registration of CNCA accompanied Li Yuanping for the visit.
Source: General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China
