South Africa and China are expected to strengthen trade relations through new regulatory agreements, with discussions scheduled for this week between the South African Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and the Chinese Vice Minister of the State Administration for Market Regulation.
According to a report by the South African think tank tralac, the discussions are expected to include Memoranda of Understanding between China’s market regulation authority and South African agencies, including the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications and the South African National Accreditation System.
The report states that the agreements form part of efforts to enhance regulatory cooperation and support broader trade and investment relations between South Africa and China. It also notes that the meeting builds on the Framework Agreement on the Economic Partnership for Shared Development (CADEPA), signed in Beijing earlier this year, which paved the way for negotiations on an Early Harvest Agreement between the Southern African Customs Union and China.