South African President Thabo Mbeki plans to visit China later this year, following visits to South Africa by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao respectively in 2007 and 2006, Pahad said.

On economic and trade ties, Zhong said China-South Africa trade volume has registered an eight-fold increase to reach 14.04 billion US dollars last year.

South Africa statistics showed in September 2007 that China had become South Africa's third largest trade partner, only after Germany and the United States. South Africa is also China's largest trade partner in Africa. Zhong said enterprises from both countries have manifested strong will of cooperation, and investment has been enlarged all along.

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China last year invested 5.46 billion dollars in Standard Bank, a major South African banking group, becoming the largest ever investment from China to Africa.

Meanwhile, South African companies such as AngloAmerican, Sasol, SABMillers and MIH have operated in China for a long time and made investments of great importance, he said.

Various activities would be held in both China and South Africa to celebrate 10 years of bilateral relations, according to the officials.

A three-month exhibition to display some of China's top cultural relics and antiques, including the famous 2,000-year-old terracotta warriors, will be opened in Pretoria in late March.

A series of celebrating activities under the theme of "South African Week" will be kicked off in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, Zhong said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2008)