South Africa will hold a commodities fair in China, its biggest trading partner, later this month in an effort to expand bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
The fair, which will be held at the Beijing Exhibition Center from Nov. 24 to 26 and the Shanghai Exhibition Center from Nov. 28 to 30, is the biggest of such fairs ever held by South Africa in China. It will attract some 100 traders, according to Xie Yufeng, a co-organizer of the event.
The fair will mainly showcase South African commodities that are popular in the Chinese market, including wine, metals and minerals, automobiles and parts, mechanical equipment and electronics, Xie said.
Meanwhile, the fair will host conferences and discussions on a wide range of topics regarding bilateral business cooperation.
China is South Africa's largest trading partner, its biggest export destination and source of imports.
Statistics from China's Ministry of Commerce show that during the January-September period, trading value between the two countries surged 88 percent year-on-year to 32.59 billion U.S. dollars. China's exports to South Africa rose 24.8 percent while its imports from the country jumped 139 percent during the period.
The fair is sponsored by China's Ministry of Commerce and the South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry.