On the afternoon of May 20, Defense Minister Dong Jun met with Commander of the South African Navy Lobese at the Bayi Building in Beijing.

Dong Jun said that although China and South Africa are thousands of miles apart, they are as close as brothers. President Xi Jinping and President Ramaphosa have together guided the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership into a "golden era," providing an opportunity and impetus for deepening military-to-military relations. The two militaries have close exchanges, with naval cooperation consistently at the forefront. The two sides should further strengthen strategic communication, improve cooperation planning, expand the depth of cooperation, and work together to address risks and challenges.

Lobese said that China is one of South Africa's most important strategic cooperative partners, and the two countries cooperate closely within the BRICS mechanism. In recent years, South Africa-China naval friendship has continued to grow and cooperation has continued to deepen. South Africa is willing to work hand in hand with China to continuously advance the development of military-to-military relations.