This photo taken on Oct. 20, 2025, shows a view of V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

South Africa's Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) and China's Zhejiang Normal University convened a symposium in Cape Town on Monday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

CAPE TOWN, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's Inclusive Society Institute (ISI) and China's Zhejiang Normal University convened a symposium in Cape Town on Monday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

Representatives from ISI and the Institute of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University held in-depth discussions at the First Nations Heritage Center in the legislative capital, Cape Town.

In his keynote address, ISI CEO Daryl Swanepoel said FOCAC has become a "defining pillar of contemporary South-South cooperation."

"For Africa, FOCAC offers a platform to enhance agency in shaping its development partnerships, and for China, it signals a maturing approach to global development that is grounded in sustainability, partnership, and shared learning," he said.

Liu Hongwu, director of the Institute of African Studies, underscored South Africa's importance in China-Africa and wider South-South cooperation.

"We've come here to push forward that cooperation. We not only work together under FOCAC, but also maintain high-level exchanges between the Chinese and South African people," Liu said.

He added that these in-person dialogues and engagements enable both sides to better understand each other today and into the future, fostering a more inclusive society built on unity.

People pose for a photo with the Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, on Oct. 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

Wang Xiao, acting consul general of China in Cape Town, highlighted FOCAC's evolution over the past 25 years into a comprehensive platform spanning political dialogue, trade and investment, infrastructure, education, culture, public health, and peace and security.

"It has delivered tangible benefits to the peoples of China and Africa and become a powerful symbol of South-South cooperation," Wang said. "Our cooperation has been guided by mutual respect, equality, and a firm commitment to each other's development."

"As China continues advancing its own modernization, we remain committed to supporting Africa's independent development and to strengthening Africa's voice in global governance," she noted. "This partnership is not imposed by external forces, nor shaped by ideological competition; it is rooted in genuine friendship, shared aspirations, and common interests."

This photo taken on Oct. 20, 2025, shows a street view at V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. (Xinhua/Han Xu)

ISI Deputy Chairperson Buyelwa Sonjica, former South African minister of water and environmental affairs, urged recognition of not only the tangible outcomes of the partnership but also its intangible contributions.

She described the Africa-China relationship, especially the South Africa-China relationship, as one of the most consequential for both sides "politically, economically, and socially."

Odile Bulten, coordinator of the Africa-ISI Think Tank Dialogue, said FOCAC has expanded over 25 years from a political and economic cooperation platform into one that embraces education, cultural engagement, and people-to-people exchange.

"Together, China and Africa have set a model of solidarity and collaboration for the Global South, demonstrating the power of unity in pursuing shared development aspirations," Bulten said.  ■