Zhang Zhu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, met with Willie Aucamp, Minister of Agriculture of South Africa, in Beijing on the afternoon of September 7. 

Minister Zhang noted that, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, cooperation between China and South Africa in various fields has continued to deepen, with agricultural cooperation making notable progress and continuing to benefit the people of both countries. China stands ready to work with South Africa to further advance practical cooperation in animal health, deepen exchanges on climate-smart agricultural technologies, and strengthen policy dialogue and mutual learning in areas such as supporting the development of smallholder farmers and poverty reduction. These efforts will help elevate bilateral agricultural cooperation to a new level and make positive contributions to the development of the China–South Africa all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era. 

Minister Aucamp expressed his appreciation for China's longstanding support for South Africa's agricultural development, noting that South Africa attaches great importance to agricultural cooperation with China. He said South Africa stands ready to broaden the scope of cooperation, draw on China's experience to enhance its capacity to prevent and control major animal diseases, and expand agricultural trade and economic exchanges, so as to upgrade the overall level of bilateral agricultural cooperation.