On April 30, 2024, Liang Xi, the founder of National Financial Strategy Discipline and the leader of the research group-“The Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China and the Long-Range Objectives through the Year 2035-National Strategic Projects”, was invited by Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, the Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to China, to take the relevant personnel of the research group to the South African Embassy for preliminary communication on the theme of “accelerating the development of new quality productivity, promoting high-quality“One Belt One Road” investment and trade international cooperation projects”.

Ambassador Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, based on the spirit of the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping's meeting with South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa at the Presidential Palace in Pretoria in August 2023, has proposed cooperation intentions for the development of China-South Africa relations in the new era in terms of trade, tourism, education, science and technology, and talent exchange. He hopes that the strategic partnership between China-South Africa will continue to take new steps and work together to build a high-level community with a shared future for China-South Africa. At the same time, Ambassador Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, in conjunction with South Africa's future strategic planning, invited China to actively participate in the investment and construction of the high-speed railway and expressway from Johannesburg to Durban and Durban Port expansion project . Using the valuable experience of the Chinese side to assist South Africa in the development of new energy and the upgrading and renovation of various power stations, empowering the stable supply of electricity in South Africa. And hoping that both China-South Africa can strengthen cooperation in animal husbandry and mineral resource development, achieve mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Liang Xi briefly introduced the relevant situation of the research group to Ambassador Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele and proposed that China-South Africa jointly establish "EEL settlement system" based on the basic principles of "Equal Free Trade, Equal Physical Investment, Local Currency Settlement". The two sides agreed to take the visit of the South African President to China in September 2024 as the milestone, and complete the five-year project planning for China-South Africa before that. At the same time, the attending personnel of both sides will form a joint working group to draft a “Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation” between the two sides.

Mahdi Basadien, Minister Plenipotentiary of the South African Embassy in China, Gary James Smith, Economic Counselor and Mpume Mnguni, First Secretary of Economy Department, and members of the research group, including Hao Xilong, Wang Xiangfeng, Fu Shu and other relevant personnel, attended the meeting. They expressed firm confidence in the communication and exchange projects, as well as friendship and mutual assistance between the two countries in the future. The two sides will work together to promote high-quality joint construction of the“One Belt One Road”, create cooperation measures that meet the needs of China-South Africa development in the new era, and inject new strong momentum into the construction of a high-level China-South Africa community of shared future!