South African president to visit China in December

South African President Jacob Zuma will pay a state visit to China next month to further strengthen strategic relationship, it was announced Thursday.

The visit, scheduled for Dec 4 and 5, will focus on priority issues of development in South Africa and Africa, Xinhua quoted the country's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana- Mashabane as saying in a media briefing here.

South Africa sees China as a key partner in the implementation of some of the grandiose infrastructure and other development plans on the continent, the minister said.

"South Africa and China share a sound political relationship which can be used better to lay the basis for implementing South Africa's economic objectives," Nkoana-Mashabane said.

China is South Africa's single largest trading partner in the world, and South Africa has become China's largest trading partner in Africa.