"China's public administration level impressed me, and we two nations will strengthen cooperation in related fields in the future," said South African Minister of Public Service and Administration, Geraldine Joslyn Fraser- Moleketi.
She made the remark while talking about her five-day visit to Shanghai and Beijing at the invitation of Chinese Ministry of Personnel.
China and South Africa have just signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on promoting exchanges in human resource development and public administration.
In China nowadays, the Master's of Public Relations has become popular and many undergraduates have applied for the degree.
Moleketi said that the trend of globlization and the important role of the market economy have pushed the government to take a more active part in public administration services. China is undoubtedly developing very fast in this regard.
"China launched intensive re-training and reemployment programs, which allows the Chinese government to shift their human resources according to their national plan," she told Xinhua.
Moleketi visited a training center for laid-off workers in Shanghai. "It offered a very professional series of training programs provided by the Chinese civil service," she said.
"Information technology exchanges will soon be carried out between our two nations," she said. The scope of the cooperation was also mentioned in the MOU.
"I have been in Beijing for two days and I have one suggestion for city traffic," she said. "Before Spring Festival, it's quite busy downtown. Traffic will be quite a challenge for preparation for the Olympics."
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2002)