Xi Jinping hails ‘golden era’ in China-South Africa relations amid Brics summit

Relations between China and South Africa have entered a “golden era” and are set to deepen, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa in talks in Pretoria on Tuesday.

“China is willing to work with [South Africa] to … deepen cooperation, strengthen collaboration and push the China-South Africa comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level,” the Chinese foreign ministry quoted Xi as saying.

“Regardless of what happens in global affairs, China’s commitment to deepening the friendly and cooperative relations between China and South Africa will remain unchanged.”

In an article published in South African media on Monday, Xi said relations between the two countries had entered a “golden era”.

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It is his first visit to the country in five years and his fourth since taking office in 2013.

It is also Xi’s second overseas visit this year – he travelled to Russia in March soon after China abandoned its zero-Covid policy.

He will attend the Brics summit in Johannesburg, and co-chair a China-Africa leaders’ round-table dialogue with Ramaphosa on Thursday.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of formal ties between the two countries.

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During their talks at the presidential residence on Tuesday, Xi said there had been a “great leap forward” in relations between the two countries, and a deepening of mutual trust and cooperation in international affairs, according to Chinese state media reports.

The two presidents agreed that China would try to narrow the trade gap by importing more South African goods, particularly beef, which Beijing banned last year after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

China will also encourage more investment in South Africa.

Xi also said he supported calls on the continent for changes to global governance institutions, promising to help Africa and the Global South to have a bigger voice, including in the United Nations Security Council, of which China is a permanent member.

“We firmly support the African integration process and the African Union’s accession to the G20 to make substantial progress this year. We support South Africa in playing a greater role in international and regional affairs,” he said.

Ramaphosa said the two also discussed the Ukraine war and its impact on developing economies in Africa and elsewhere, with Xi welcoming South Africa’s initiative to send a peace mission.

“We both agreed on the importance of dialogue … between the two sides,” he said.

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The two governments then signed a series of cooperation deals in areas ranging from infrastructure development and energy to tourism, education and digital technology.

The Chinese foreign ministry said the two sides agreed to deepen cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative and build a Confucius Institute in South Africa.

Xi also said the Brics summit was of great significance to its member countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – in strengthening unity and cooperation and promoting the growth of its cooperation mechanism, given “the current circumstance”.

Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are attending the summit in person while Russia is represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is wanted under an international arrest warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, is taking part via a video link.

South China Morning Post