Closing remarks by Minister Nathi Mthethwa at the 3rd Meeting of South Africa-China High Level People To People Exchange Mechanism
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Minister Nathi Mthethwa

Her Excellency Mme. Sun Chunlan, Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, distinguished guests
All participants

I would like to thank you on behalf of the government of the people of South Africa for your participation at this meeting.  Allow me to express gratitude to all the delegation present here today, for carrying out the noble mandate to ensure a vibrant and meaningful engagement in ensuring critical decisions in the People-to-People Exchange Mechanism (PPEM) meeting we have had today. The meeting has strengthened the resolve and commitment to the success of this noble project.

We have registered, through this meeting, yet another set of important milestones of the South Africa-China People-to-People Exchange Mechanism. These include:

  1. the recognition that we both seek to strengthen the advancement of fundamental human rights through the People-to-People Exchange Mechanism.
  2. the reaffirmation that the PPEM will continue to foster the advancement of human rights in the areas of health, education, culture expressions, sport, tourism, communication-and-technologies, women, youth, and persons with disabilities programmes.
  3. the fulfilment of our constitutional duty and obligation to be active rights bearers who promote, protect, advance and achieve the rights in the scope of our exchange mechanism to the benefit of communities of our people.
  4. the unwavering commitment that requisite adequate investment should be made in the advancement of the objects of the exchange mechanism thereby acting in support our countries’ commitment to sustainable development, economic growth, environmental sustainability (cultural and natural heritage preservation), global integration, development, peace, and harmonisation trough programmes in areas of cultural expression, health, education, and sport.
  5. the endeavour to invest in the PPEM in support of our countries’ commitment to addressing challenges of unemployment, poverty, discrimination, and inequalities facing our communities.
  1. South Africa further makes a special reference to the build-up activities.

towards the on-coming Table Tennis and Netball World Cup games to be hosted in this beautiful country, South Africa.  Thus, it is befitting that the calendar of events is shared between us for the Chinese experts to consider attending some of these World Cup games as observers and for possible exchange of expertise that can benefit the sport communities from both countries. This would enable the two countries to build a post-world cup legacy and stronger collaboration through exchange programmes on information, experts, coaches, administrators and participants in the areas of different sport codes.

As I close this meeting today, kindly allow me, to appeal to all of us, to ensure that at our 4th South Africa-China People-to-People Exchange Mechanism, we are able to report on even more tangible and demonstrable progress on the decisions reached here today. Let us ensure that the 4th meeting reports on the impact these noble decisions would have produced.

Thank you so much to each one of us for the continued effort to ensure advancement and achievement of the rights of the peoples of our respective republics through this People-to-People Exchange Mechanism.

Best regards to us all in this noble endeavour.

I thank you.