At the invitation of Republic of South Africa's President Jacob Zuma, Chinese President Xi Jinping started a state visit to the country on Dec. 2. They agreed that bilateral relations have enjoyed strong development opportunities, as they entered a new phase.

They intend to implement the 5-10 Years Strategic Plan on Cooperation, and attend the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Johannesburg.

Geographic distance will never separate those sharing the same ideals. Though far apart, the friendship between the peoples of the two countries' remains unshakable and is becoming even firmer as time goes by. The friendly cooperation has changed from a boat to a large wheel.

This is the second time Xi visited South Africa after assuming office. He defined the special relations as "comrade and brothers" with a comprehensive strategic partnership holding profound connotations.

The two nations should maintain deep mutual trust as development partners of equality and win-win cooperation. They can keep close communications for mutual learning to act as global partners.

The four partnerships raised by Xi symbolize the earnest expectations for China-South Africa relations in a new era. Together, they stand as a model to usher in pragmatic cooperation between large developing countries.

By Liu Wei, Assistant Researcher, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Comics drawn by Wang Dongjie