A strengthened relationship between China and South Africa would not only benefit the two countries, but also contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world, South African and Chinese officials said on Monday.

Both as active players in respective continents as well as on the global stage, China and South Africa must continue to consolidate and intensify their relations, Essop Pahad, South African Minister in the Presidency, said at a gathering in Pretoria to celebrate 10 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This relationship is built "on the solid foundation of a shared global political vision and the need for accelerating economic interaction," he told some 200 government officials, parliamentarians, scholars and diplomats.

South Africa established diplomatic ties with China in January 1998, almost four years after South Africa's first democratic nonracial elections that saw the end of apartheid and the black majority coming into power.

Even before 1994, the Chinese people have firmly supported the South African people in their anti-apartheid struggle, said Chinese ambassador to South Africa Zhong Jianhua.

Now China-South Africa relationship, identified as "a strategic partnership of equality, mutual-benefit and common development," has become one of the most important ones in Africa and the developing world, he said.

He described the development of bilateral relations over the past decade as "all-round", "in-depth" and "fruitful", covering fields of foreign affairs, economy and trade, defense, science and technology, education, culture and tourism. Political trust between the two countries has been strengthened with frequent visits and exchanges at various levels, he said.