Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday afternoon on a two-day official visit to the Republic of South Africa as his fifth leg of his seven-nation Africa tour.

 

The Chinese premier was greeted at the airport by South African Foreign Minister Dlamini Zuma, Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Liu Guijin and South African Ambassador to China Ndumiso Ndima Ntshinga.

 

Wen Jiabao is expected to meet South African President Tbabo Mbeki in the afternoon and the two leaders would discuss and co-sign an agreement on "deepening the strategic partnership" between the two countries.

 

The two sides will also sign a number of agreements on cooperation between the two countries.

 

Wen will also meet political figures on bilateral and international issues, meet local entrepreneurs and attend a forum on Sino-South African trade and investment during his two-day stay in Cape Town.

 

Wen concluded his official visit to Angola on Wednesday morning and left Luanda for Cape Town. Prime Minister Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos held a ceremony at the airport to see Wen off.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2006)