The Chinese government officially issued an announcement to lift the ban on Tuesday, allowing cloven-hoofed animals and related products from South Africa to be exported.
Ambassador Lin Songtian of china, pointed out the ban still seals the Limpopo Province, Ehlanzi area of Mpumalanga Province and Umkhanyakude area of KwaZulu-Natal Province, to export cloven-hoofed animals to China.
China is the largest consuming market for SA’s beef, wool and animal skin product. With a population of 1.4 billion people and 400 million mid-income population, is a huge consuming market for South African agricultural products.
It has been known that since January this year, South Africa has experienced a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in some areas in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal Province, and lost its status recognized by World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) as FMD-free zone without vaccination. There are many other counties including China that had no choice but to ban the import of cloven-hoofed animals and their products from South Africa. Which caused serious loss to the agriculture industry in South Africa.
Lin expressed that it hasn’t been all dooms day for South African exports, with China lifting its ban on wool and animal skin since 8th May 2019. “This decision is one of the most rapid actions of this kind ever made by the Chinese authorities,” Lin said.
In his statement he added, China always regards South Africa as the strategic pivot and priority in its foreign policy. As comprehensive strategic partners, China and South Africa share mutual understanding and fully support each other on issues of core interests and major concerns for the benefits of our two peoples. China is committed itself to supporting the South African government’s efforts led by The President Ramaphosa, to boost economy to create jobs and improve people’s livelihood.
The request to lift the ban on beef exports, was made during the meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa during his visit of the G20 Osaka summit. Where President Xi Jinping promised to lift the ban as early as possible to resume the beef import from SA. With less than a month after meeting of the two heads of state, the ban on beef import from SA has been officially lifted while the OIE has not completed its procedure to resume that status of FMD-free zone without vaccination.
When Gauteng News asked Ambassador Lin why they lifted the ban without all green lights from the OIE, Lin response was: “The decision made by the Chinese government to lift the ban without the OIE status is not only a practical but also a pioneering action to deepen our mutually-beneficial cooperation, and if fully demonstrates our strong political commitment to supporting the economic and social transformation and development of SA.”
Lin expressed that China would like to work closely with South Africa to seize the opportunity and implement consensus reached by the two Heads of state and the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, so as to work more closely to strengthen the win-win cooperation for common development and make the China- South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership more productive and beneficial to the two countries and its peoples.
