The South African government treasures its ever-strengthening relations with China, a top official said as the countries launched two new cultural projects.

Both the China-South Africa Youth Volunteers Programme in Wildlife Conservation Forum and the China-Africa Wildlife Photography Exhibition were officially opened at Pretoria's Tshwane University of Technology on Nov 17.

Barbara Thompson, deputy minister of environmental affairs, said the forum was aimed at improving environmental awareness among young people and was part of a memorandum of understanding between the countries.

She added that her government hopes the countries can interact even more in the fields of technology, human resources and knowledge. She also expected collaboration to continue on issues such as African elephant and rhinoceros conservation.

Five Chinese youths from Beijing Forestry University, the National Zoological Museum, Shenzhen Yantian Foreign Languages School and Black Leopard Wildlife Conservation Station, an NGO, took part in the forum.

The exhibition focused on conservation efforts and featured images of endangered species in Asia and Africa.

"Similar to South Africa, China is a country with vast biodiversity and various wildlife," Chen Fengxue, deputy director of China's State Forestry Administration, said shortly before a ceremony to mark the opening of the events. "Both countries have agreed to boost collaboration and support each other in issues of biodiversity protection, wetlands conservation and desertification prevention."

Chen said the youth volunteers program was another key event in 2015, China's Year of South Africa, and would boost exchanges and cooperation between young people in the two BRICS countries.

He also said that China and South Africa were enjoying their best period in bilateral relations, and emphasized that China appreciates the African country's achievements in wildlife conservation.

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(China Daily Africa Weekly 11/27/2015 page26)