JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- China has made great strides in its national development over the past several decades, with the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) playing an indispensable role, said a leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP).
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago, China has become the world's second largest economy, noted Solly Mapaila, first deputy general secretary of the SACP.
"This is a great, hard-won achievement," he commented in a recent interview with Xinhua.
He said many countries that suffered colonial, semi-colonial or imperialist domination are still struggling at the bottom rung of global economic ratings, while China has advanced and overtaken quite a few major countries -- an impressive development driven by the CPC.
Mapaila said the SACP members have read many books about China and taken part in international exchange programs with the CPC, gaining a deeper understanding about China's development and the CPC's leadership.
Noting that the Chinese development model is based on what the CPC refers to as socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said "the CPC continuously studies China's development as well as unique position and accordingly adopts policies and strategies it believes are appropriate to the continuously changing material conditions obtained in China."
Mapaila said the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- with its emphasis on global development and infrastructure development -- inspires deeper international cooperation.
"The importance of international solidarity and cooperation ... cannot be overemphasized," Mapaila said.
"Humanity has a shared future. We need to promote cooperation, collaboration and mutual interest engagements in order to move towards the common destiny," Mapaila said.
"In this common future, unlike in the past and the present, there must be no domination of one nation, nation state or country by another," he added.
Mapaila said he believes that solidifying the relations between the SACP and the CPC and strengthening economic ties between their countries will benefit both sides.
"The SACP is looking forward to ever deepening ties with the CPC and strengthening economic, investment and trade relations with China to the mutual benefit of both South Africa and China," he said. "Mutual success is the best road to our common future."
