Xi’s South Africa visit to deepen Sino-South African, BRICS cooperation

As part of his Africa trip, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in South Africa Tuesday to pay a state visit to the country and attend the 10th BRICS Summit, which will be held in Johannesburg from Wednesday to Friday. This will be President Xi’s third trip to South Africa since he took office and it comes in a significant year, which marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

President Xi’s visit to South Africa, besides reaffirming the deep friendship between China and South Africa, also paves the way for cooperation agreements on a wide range of areas, from integration of the Belt and Road Initiative with South Africa’s national development strategies to engagement in the spheres of socio-economic ties, people-to-people exchange, tourism and cultural dialogue.

In 2015, China and the African Union signed an historic Memorandum of Understanding, which put strong emphasis on infrastructure development in Africa. The agreement aims at connecting all African countries through transportation infrastructure projects, which include modern highways, airports, and high speed railways.

As one of the biggest and most developed economies in the African continent, South Africa has actively embraced the Belt and Road Initiative and has been closely working with China within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), a platform which, since 2000, serves to establish key priorities in China-Africa relations. This year’s FOCAC Summit will take place in Beijing in September with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa co-chairing with President Xi.

It is with no doubt that President Xi’s upcoming visit serves to strengthen China-South Africa’s cooperation within the Belt and Road, an initiative that has been praised by the African Union and by leaders of this fast growing and young continent. Furthermore, it is important to note that China and South Africa’s friendship goes beyond 1998, when the two established diplomatic ties. In fact, since the 1950s, the Chinese people have been supporting the people of South Africa in their struggle against apartheid and the inequalities caused by racial segregation.

As two nations who have experienced a past of colonial humiliation and who have fought against imperialism to gain full independence, the two stand ready to further develop their bilateral ties within the principles of mutual respect, non-aggression, non-interference, equality and peaceful co-existence. China and South Africa have, over the past 20 years, enjoyed a comprehensive and in-depth development, which allowed the two to achieve a major leap from partnership to the current comprehensive strategic partnership.

At the upcoming bilateral talks, President Xi and his South African counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa also will evaluate the progresses achieved by the two countries in the six priority areas identified in 2015, namely the alignment of industries to accelerate South Africa’s industrialization process, the enhancement of cooperation in Special Economic Zones (SEZs), enhancement of marine cooperation, infrastructure development and human resources cooperation, as well as financial cooperation.

China and South Africa are both members of BRICS, and with other BRICS nations, contribute to more than 50 percent of world economic growth. As a major participant, contributor and beneficiary, South Africa has become a bridge in linking BRICS development cooperation with the rest of Africa. In fact, not only has South Africa’s trade with BRICS nations increased by more than 54.7 percent between the period 2011-2016, Chinese investments in South Africa have grown rapidly over the past years, reaching $25 billion in accumulative terms and creating more than 400,000 local jobs. In 2017, bilateral trade between the two countries reached its peak with an increase of 15 percent, reaching $39.17 billion.

In recent years, China has become South Africa’s largest trading partner and a major source of foreign investment and overseas tourists. Deepening cultural exchanges between the Chinese and South African peoples and further fostering socio-economic exchanges carry enormous importance, as well as cooperation in international platforms. President Xi also will attend the 10th BRICS Summit, where a joint declaration will be issued.

The 10th BRICS Summit, themed “BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for Inclusive Growth and Shared Prosperity in the 4th Industrial Revolution”, will be an extraordinary opportunity for China to work with South Africa and other BRICS nations to step up solidarity and cooperation, as well as deepen strategic partnerships among BRICS countries. Furthermore, as mentioned by Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Jun, the leaders of the five BRICS countries will highlight their commitment toward upholding multilateralism, as well as the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at the center.

Xi’s visit to South Africa is an important sign for future Sino-South African relations and for deepening their cooperation within the frameworks of the Belt and Road and BRICS while working towards building a community of shared future based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation. The 10th BRICS Summit will show to the world that BRICS countries are united in their quest for improved global governance and are opposed to any form of unilateralism and protectionist measures. At the same time, they are ready to welcome and face the opportunities and challenges brought by globalization, and will positively engage with other nations with a strong sense of responsibility.

The author is a graduate of China Studies and International Relations at Peking University and the London School of Economics. Currently, he is working in the fields of development and public policy.