Shanghai — Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, who is due back in SA after a week-long official visit to China, said he was keen to encourage Chinese investment in SA and other African countries.

China and SA have agreed to strengthen and expand their ties.

Ahead of his return yesterday, Pahad said he backed stronger ties with China, particularly the role China could take in the beneficiation of mineral resources.

In Beijing, Pahad and his delegation were given extensive briefings on what might be learned from China's nearly 30 years of economic growth since its reform process began in 1978, for SA's own efforts to achieve accelerated growth.

While in Beijing last week, Pahad met Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, senior Communist Party officials and, later, business leaders in Shanghai.

In a signal of SA's keen interest in encouraging greater Chinese investment in the country, Pahad was accompanied by Deputy Finance Minister Jabu Moleketi and senior officials from the trade and industry department.

There have been a number of indications that China is giving its African diplomacy a far higher profile. Chinese foreign ministry officials refer to this year as China's year of Africa, with a China-Africa summit to be held in Beijing in November.

Pahad's talks in China were to prepare for a visit to SA this month by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, which will be part of a seven-nation African tour. Last month, Chinese President Hu Jintao visited three African countries in the build-up to the summit.

A meeting is planned between President Thabo Mbeki and Hu on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit taking place in Moscow next month.

China exports mostly manufactured goods to Africa and imports crude oil and minerals.