In order to cement cooperation between the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and promote exchange of experiences on nation building between China and African countries, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, entrusted by the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of FOCAC, held a China-Focus-Dinner, namely “Focus on China—China-Africa Sharing Experiences on Public Sector Restructuring Experiences” in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 27 September 2004, the first day of a NEPAD workshop on Public Sector Restructuring and Human Resource Management hosted by the South African Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA).

Up to 70 people attended the China Focus Dinner, among them were 8 high-ranking officials at Ministerial and Deputy Ministerial level from South Africa, Uganda, Burundi, Lesotho and Namibia etc. Representatives from across the African continent participating the NEPAD Workshop, together with officials from NEPAD Secretariat and OECD, heads of some African diplomatic missions in South Africa were also present at the Dinner.

During the Dinner, Professor Wang Tongxun, President of China Institution of Personnel Sciences introduced the practices and experiences of China’s government structure reform and held discussions with the participants.

Madam Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Minister of DPSA of South Africa delivered a warm speech, in which she highlighted the important roles played by FOCAC in strengthening China-Africa traditional friendship and cooperation, as well as promoting South-South cooperation. She believed that the convening of this China Focus Dinner, during which China shared with African countries its experiences on Public Sector Restructure, “afforded an opportunity to strengthen linkages and gain mutual strategic value through the cooperation that exists between China and Africa.” It was also an occasion through which, China and Africa “moved to operationalise the Sino-African Cooperation Guidelines for Social and Economic Development and identify key focus areas.”

The atmosphere over the Dinner was warm and friendly. Participants showed their enthusiasm about China’s practices and experiences on government structure reform.