Ramaphosa was hosted by Jinping at the State House on Sunday and will today co-chair a Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

JOHANNESBURG – Chinese President Xi Jinping has given South Africa’s land reform policy the thumbs up.

This has been revealed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is on a state visit in Beijing.

Ramaphosa was hosted by Jinping at the State House on Sunday and will on Monday co-chair a Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

Following Donald Trump’s tweet on South Africa’s land reform policy last month, Ramaphosa says there are people hell-bent on spreading the wrong message about the policy.

“And the fear that had been propagated around the country is subsiding.”

Ramaphosa says Jinping supports his government’s stance on land reform.

“He said ‘as you address this matter, make sure that South Africa does transform and change the architecture of your land holdings from what it’s been in the past.’”

He told business leaders in China that the dispossession of land from black people was the original sin that gave birth to racial oppression which continues to be a wound that has to be healed.

Meanwhile, Ramaphosa said he hopes his first state visit to China will consolidate the country’s relationship with his government.

He was joined by several of his Cabinet ministers.

Ramaphosa said he attaches a lot of importance to his first visit to China.

“Our coming here for us is a consolidation of that relationship between China and South Africa. We believe this state visit will add further impetus to our bilateral relations.”

He said when Xi Jinping visited South Africa two months ago, they spoke about the need to strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen mutual trust, and increase exchanges between government, legislative bodies on how they can cooperate.

On Monday, Ramaphosa will co-chair the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

(Edited by Leeto M Khoza)