With the 15th BRICS Summit as the catalyst, China’s state visit to SA is taking on added importance for both sides. President Xi Jinping from China has only travelled once this year, to visit Vladimir Putin in Russia. Now CNN is reporting that China’s state visit to SA is a part of a charm offensive amid economic troubles at home and fractious politics with the US.
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However, experts say Xi Jinping’s visit is laden with new possibilities for the country and continent. This is Xi Jinpings fourth visit to South Africa. During this visit, he and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will co-chair the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue. This will take place on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, and 69 countries, all of them African states, have been invited.
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As the key strategic partner to China in Africa, South Africa holds the distinction of being the first African nation in the Belt and Road infrastructure collaboration with China, set in motion more than a decade ago. Notably, China has remained South Africa’s chief trading partner for the last 14 years. Reciprocally, South Africa is China’s primary African trading partner, too.
GLOBAL GOVERNANCE IS OUT OF ORDER
Previewing China’s state visit to SA this week, the Chinese ambassador to South Africa, Chen Xiaodong, hailed the BRICS bloc as: “An important platform for cooperation among emerging and developing nations and the backbone of international fairness and justice.”
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Infrastructure initiatives spanning 10 000 km of railways and 100 000 km of highways – as well as pivotal airports, bridges, docks and power plants – have been undertaken in Africa. “The traditional global governance system is out of order, incapacitated and absent. The international community is eagerly looking forward to BRICS to play a leading role,” said Xiaodong.
CHINESE AID PACKAGE
As is the norm with Chinese state visits, the expectation from South Africa might be of generous care and aid packages. But considering China’s current economic woes, it is less well-equipped to do so this year.
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China’s strained economic performance is limiting its ability to play the great power leader like it used to. And the nation is facing a public backlash to what it sees as lavish government spending abroad. Chinese citizens are asking what the rationale is to invest so much money overseas, yet domestically there are so many problems.
BROADER CHINESE-AFRICAN TIES
In face of its slowing economy, the Chinese government has become much more selective in choosing what foreign projects to finance. But as the BRICS Summit will show, the China-South Africa dynamic has transcended its bilateral significance. It now resonates for broader Chinese-African ties and Global-South cooperation.
The 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg takes place from August 22-24 2023 at the Sandton Convention Centre. We will bring you all the news as it takes place.
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