By Dr Jaya Josie
Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Pretoria on September 27, 2024, in his welcoming speech to distinguished guests, China’s Ambassador Wu Peng said that although China and South Africa are separated by oceans, the friendship between the two peoples dates back a long time and has grown stronger over the years.
Seventy-five years ago, at 3pm, October 1, 1949, Chairman Mao Zedong, leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), proclaimed the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from the top of the Tiananmen Gate in Beijing. Before this proclamation only the former emperor could use the gate to what was the imperial city, called the “Forbidden City”.
Today the gate is adorned with the slogans “Long Live the People's Republic of China” and “Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World”.
In fact, the relationship between the PRC and the South African anti-apartheid and anti-colonial liberation movement was first established in 1955 when a delegation of the liberation movement visited China and met with Zhou Enlai, one of the leaders of the CPC, on the way to the first Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Bandung, Indonesia.
Following the banning of the South African liberation movements in 1961, the 1955 visit to the NAM Summit was followed up with the training of the first group of freedom fighters from the South African liberation movement in 1961. The group of freedom fighters met with Chairman Mao Zedong during their training. Many of these fighters were heroes of the struggle against apartheid and spent many years in prison with Nelson Mandela.
The victory of the people’s revolution in China was a long arduous struggle that climaxed with the famous Long March that started with the trek of thousands of members of the CPC from 1934 in the south-eastern part and ended in the north-western part of China in 1936. It was during this 10,000km march that Chairman Mao Zedong emerged as leader of the CPC. During this march Chairman Mao used guerrilla tactics effectively and successfully to resist the Chiang Kai-shek Kuomintang (KMT) forces.
The long march also inspired many young people to join the CPC and the struggle. The victory of the CPC was very difficult and resulted in the deaths of many thousands of fighters. The CPC had to fight the combined threat of KMT plus the invasion of Japan in 1937 and, Japan’s occupation of Manchuria, in northern China, during the Second World War. However, following Japanese surrender in 1945 and, the retreat of the Kuomintang (KMT) forces to Taiwan, the CPC was finally able to establish control over China. It was after the major defeat of the KMT that Chairman Mao was able to proclaim the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on October 1, 1949.
The victory of the CPC and the creation of the most populous socialist state in China impacted the global balance of power in the post 1945 period. The impact was felt most significantly by countries under western colonial and neo-colonial domination in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The PRC offered direct and indirect support to anti-colonial and liberation movements around the world. Since 1955 and 1961 the anti-apartheid liberation movement in South Africa has been able to count on the support of the PRC.
Ambassador Wu Peng must have been very aware of this long-standing historical relationship when he made his comments in his welcoming speech. The relationship between the PRC and the people of South Africa has a history that started many years before the post-apartheid government formerly recognised the PRC in 1998.
In his welcoming speech Ambassador Wu Peng argued that celebrating the 75 years of the PRC coincides with a growing momentum in the expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the PRC and South Africa. In the first half of 2024 China saw an increase of 10.7% imports from South Africa; with more than 200 Chinese companies investing in the country and creating 400,000 jobs.
In promoting a community with a shared future Ambassador Wu Peng committed to encourage more companies to invest and start businesses in South Africa especially in the renewable energy, digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI) sectors. Although China today is the second largest economy in the world, it was not always so; the Ambassador also reflected on the past 75 years and said that the PRC has witnessed many changes with the CPC uniting the people of China and moving the country towards modernisation, and together achieving rapid economic development and long-term social stability. The Ambassador listed a range of economic indicators to show how China has grown from a US$ 27 per capita, and accounting for less than 5% of the world’s economic output to become the second largest economy in the world.
Perhaps it is also important to assess the socio-demographic changes that have characterised the development of a massive population of 1.3 billion people over the past seventy-five years modernized under the CPC of the Peoples Republic China’s (PRC).
The World Bank and other international organisations have used the indicator of average life expectancy to measure socio-demographic development of countries. In this context in seventy years after the declaration of the PRC the average life expectancy of China has more than doubled, increasing from 35 years old in 1949, 57 in 1957, 68 in 1981 and reaching 77 years old in 2018. The life expectancy for China in 2022 was 77.30 years, a 0.22% increase from 2021. The life expectancy for China in 2023 was 77.47 years, a 0.22% increase from 2022. Today 75 years later in 2024, the current life expectancy is 77.64 years, showing 0.22% increase from 2023.
Over the past five years international organisations have also consistently highlighted and applauded China’s policies that have lifted over 800 million of its citizens from extreme and absolute poverty over the past 35 years. Reflecting on the past 75 years Ambassador Wu Peng said that in the beginning 80% of the population were illiterate, but by 2023 the average level of education for the country’s labour force was 14 years and, each year over 10 million students graduate from college. Concluding his speech China’s Ambassador reiterated his commitment that as the PRC enjoys a high-quality development it will promote higher levels of opening up to bring more opportunities to countries around the world.
In her response to Ambassador Wu Peng’s statement, South African Minister of Human Settlements Mmamoloko Kubayi, leading the South African government delegation at the 75th Anniversary celebration also reflected on the evolution of the PRC’s development from 1949 and, from South Africa’s first encounter with the PRC at the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) in 1955 in Bandung. She congratulated China on the 70th Anniversary of adopting the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence adopted at NAM Summit in Bandung. She reiterated that bilateral relations between China and South Africa has seen continued growth and has, in fact been upgraded to the level of All-Round Strategic Cooperative Partnership in the new Era that will benefit both countries.
Minister Kubayi also reiterated that the South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU) foreign policy, based on the precepts of South Africa’s Constitution and Bill of Rights will remain unchanged and be centred on its principle of progressive internationalism. Furthermore, South Africa will continue to prioritise the implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its strategic partnership with the People’s Republic of China, including strict adherence to the One China Policy.
In conclusion, the Minister affirmed that the PRC’s Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence are still relevant today as South Africa and China are committed to strengthening mutual cooperation in international affairs and principles of multilateralism to promote an equitable UN-centered international order based on international law.
The relationship between the People’s Republic Of China (PRC) and South Africa gives a special meaning to the slogans 'Long Live the People's Republic of China' and 'Long Live the Unity of the Peoples of the World' emblazoned on the Tiananmen Gate from where Chairman Mao Zedong proclaimed the PRC in 1949.
* Dr Jaya Josie, Africa Advisor, Zhejiang University international Business School (ZIBS); Adjunct Professor University of the Western Cape (UWC) & University of Venda.
** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.