JABAR EKSPRES – Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in South Africa near midnight on Monday for his fourth state visit to the country, which coincides with the 15th BRICS Summit.
His arrival was welcomed by host President Cyril Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport with traditional song and dance performances and a military parade by the South African National Defense Force (SANDF).
On Tuesday, Ramaphosa will host the Chinese leader during a state visit in the capital Pretoria ahead of the August 22-24 BRICS Summit to be held in Johannesburg.
In Ramaphosa’s weekly column, he said this year marks 25 years of diplomatic relations between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China.
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“Our bilateral relationship with our largest trading partner is almost as old as our democracy, Ramaphosa said.
“South Africa has much to learn from China’s development path. Among its achievements, China has lifted nearly 800 million people out of poverty over a 40-year period.”
Ramaphosa said as development partners, China and South Africa have long shared an understanding that trade and investment are key catalysts for improving the living standards of their countries’ people.
Xi will also attend the BRICS Summit, where Ramaphosa will host other leaders such as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
More than 30 heads of state and government from across Africa will attend the summit.
Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is facing an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, will not attend the meeting, but will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Xi will also co-chair the China-Africa Leaders Dialogue with Ramaphosa.
BRICS is a bloc of emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The region currently accounts for a quarter of the global economy, accounts for a fifth of global trade, and is home to more than 40% of the world’s population.
