Market more powerful than government - Chinese rep in SA

Johannesburg - The fluctuation of trade volumes between China and Africa is nothing to panic over, special representative of the Chinese government on African affairs Zhong Jianhua said on Friday.

"The invisible hand of the market is actually more powerful than the government," he told reporters on the sidelines of the Johannesburg Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Co-operation at the Sandton Convention Centre.

"The economic complementarities and mutually complimentary demands between China and Africa... will increase."

Jianhua, who was speaking through a translator, was responding to a question about whether there was a worry regarding the 40% drop in Chinese investment in Africa.

"It is only natural for the market to experience some ups and downs as long as we can ensure the relationship between Africa and China and the momentum of our economic development."

He said many of the fastest developing countries in the world were in Africa.

China and Africa needed to rethink their relationship and look at how to do more to co-operate with one another.