By Mayibongwe Maqhina 
Aug 6, 2021
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Cape Town – CHINA and South Africa were good friends, good partners and good brothers, Chinese consul-general Lin Jing said in Cape Town on Friday.
“Since Covid-19 broke out, the people of China and South Africa have stood by and supported each other.
“At present, relations between China and South Africa are getting increasingly closer. China has become South Africa’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years and South Africa has become a Chinese trading partner in Africa for 11 consecutive years,” he said
Lin made the statement when he addressed the 14th “Chinese Bridge” Competition for Foreign College Students at the Cape Academy of Math, Science and Technology.
Lin said they would work together to promote the building of the China-South Africa community with a shared future.
He noted that the Chinese Bridge has become an important platform for students from all over the world to learn Chinese and understand China.
“It has built a transnational inter-cultural bridge between China and young people all over the world. It enables foreign students to get familiar with China and have a better understanding about China.”
Lin could not hide his excitement that some South African students have come to realise that Chinese was not only a language but also an art.
“Chinese is the most difficult language to learn. You have appreciated the beauty of Chinese as well as its irresistible charm.”
He noted that Chinese education has developed rapidly in South Africa over the years, with more students starting to learn the language.
Keitumetse Modiba, Department of Basic Education director for curriculum, said China had been declared South Africa’s strategic partner in 2020 on the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Modiba said the pillar of the strategic partnership was people to people exchange and cooperation.
“The relations between the Department of Basic Education and the Chinese Ministry of Education have been strong and steady. It is through this partnership that several South African schools engage in twinning programmes with Chinese schools using Confucius Institutes in South Africa,” Modiba said.
She also said the department had, in 2015, amended its policy for the promotion of curriculum and listed Mandarin Chinese as a second additional language at South African schools.
Modiba said the Chinese Bridge competition was a good way to showcase the cultural aspects of South Africa-China partnership under its people-to-people exchange.
Emily Angie Naiduu, principal of the Cape Academy of Mathematics, Science and Technology, said teaching and learning has really changed in South Africa.
“We have more of this generation being exposed to Mandarin and Chinese culture more than ever. We are proud our learners had the time and opportunity to have exposed themselves to a foreign culture,” Naiduu said.