Dialogue on the deepening partnership between South Africa and China took a fresh turn last week as academic institutions joined the “Look East” momentum, framing the relationship as a “win-win” exchange enriched by research and student experience from both countries.
Two youth debates, hosted by the Chinese embassy in Pretoria last Thursday and the consulate-general in Johannesburg on Friday, brought together South African exchange students and young Chinese diplomats to discuss trade, geopolitics and cooperation.
SA students join Chinese diplomats to discuss trade skills and investment
At the Pretoria event, students who had recently visited Chinese universities shared how China’s development model could inform South Africa’s growth.
Topics ranged from zero tariffs for goods from 53 African countries entering China, to multilateralism, trade expansion and investment in regional value chains.
University of Johannesburg student Lucia Djamposu said global governance is shifting toward “mini-lateralism”, where smaller alliances and regional partnerships replace reliance on traditional structures.
She cited South Africa-China cooperation in rail modernisation, industrial zones and energy infrastructure as examples of partnerships that promote jobs and skills.
Djamposu said platforms such as Brics and the African Continental Free Trade Area, show the global south “is no longer waiting to be included – it is building its own system”.
Global south cooperation rooted in mutual respect and equality
University of Pretoria political science student Axola Khatshwa said global south cooperation was “a necessity, not an option”, rooted in mutual respect and equality.
He called for prioritising knowledge exchange, technology transfer and support for small enterprises, stressing that youth are “not merely observers of international dialogue, but active participants in shaping it”.
South African Youth Association of Global Affairs president Lungile Magagula said: “In an evolving global order, cooperation between developing nations can help advance equitable development, strengthen multilateral institutions, and ensure that voices of the global south are meaningfully represented in global governance processes.”
University of Pretoria’s Prof Gerda van Dijk, head of the School of Public Management and Administration, said: “The relationship between South Africa and China offers a compelling example of collaboration across economic, political and cultural spheres.”
China’s ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng highlighted China’s foreign policy of non-interference and mediation, adding that the success of its political system lies in “putting people first”.
‘Putting people first’
Wu expressed confidence the upcoming 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges would deepen youth ties and build a closer community with a shared future.
China’s consul-general in Johannesburg, Pan Qingjiang, thanked students and faculty for their participation, adding that “exchanges among young people are especially important as China and African countries share the common task of pursuing modernisation”.
Wits University deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation, Prof Lynn Morris, commended the students’ confidence and insights, saying institutions increasingly see the global south environment as vital for investment.
Morris, herself a scientist, praised Chinese technology – including her own Chinese BYD electric car – as evidence of innovation that universities should study and adapt.
