Chinese people's interest in South Africa is growing rapidly. About 100,000 Chinese people visit South Africa every year, and the number is rising.

But trade between the two sides is not well balanced. "Currently, South Africa's exports to China are largely raw materials, mainly iron ore, while the bulk of imports are value-added products, and this pattern is set to change," he said.

A worker cleans the tombstone of Chinese specialist Mao Zhongman at the Chinese Experts Cemetery in southwestern Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in March. [Photo: Xinhua]

South Africa has issued a list of top 10 value-added products that it can supply to China.

These include agro-processing products, chemicals, plastics, steel and automotive tooling, to address the trade imbalance, the ambassador said.

His country's Department of Trade and Industry, in partnership with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, jointly hosted the South African expos in China, the most recent of which were held in 2011 in Beijing and Shanghai.

The aim was to expose Chinese buyers to a different range of South African exporters in various fields, to help further expand business opportunities and create sustainable partnerships between the business communities.