An online event aiming to deepen economic and trade ties between East China's Fujian province and South Africa is held on July 6. [Photo/fujian.gov.cn]

An online event aiming to strengthen economic and trade ties between East China's Fujian province and South Africa was held on July 6. More than 2,750 government officials and enterprise representatives from both sides attended the event.

The online event was organized by the Department of Commerce of Fujian Province and is part of a series of African Market Promotion Conferences. It revolved around how to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment.

The event was broadcast online in six cities in China and abroad, including Beijing, Shanghai, Fuzhou, and Quanzhou in China, and Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Liu Depei, deputy director-general of the Department of Commerce of Fujian Province, said that Fujian and South Africa have had long relations, and both sides have maintained close economic cooperation. KwaZulu-Natal and Fujian established sister province ties in 2006.

Liu expressed hope that Fujian and South Africa would work together to overcome the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic and deepen economic and trade cooperation.

Ms. Anna Mpho Hlahla, consul general of South Africa in Shanghai, noted that South Africa has a huge market, and is an important destination for overseas investment, as well as China's essential trading partner. 

She also encouraged Fujian companies to invest and expand their operations in South Africa in an effort to facilitate greater trade between the two parties.