🌍 On Friday, November 21, Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg, setting the stage for the G20 Summit, which kicks off today and runs through Sunday.
🤝 Premier Li conveyed warm greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping and highlighted the decades-long mountains-and-seas friendship that binds the Chinese mainland and South Africa. Under the strategic guidance of both heads of state, China and South Africa are working to elevate their all-round strategic cooperative partnership for mutual growth.
💡 Li emphasized areas for deeper collaboration: mining, infrastructure, auto manufacturing, new energy, artificial intelligence, satellite navigation, and more. He also proposed joint efforts in poverty reduction, rural revitalization, public health, culture, education and youth exchanges to boost people-to-people ties.
📈 On the economic front, Li noted that China's 15th Five-Year Plan and South Africa's new 10-point economic action plan offer a roadmap for aligning development strategies. He reaffirmed China's readiness to implement early zero-tariff treatment in South Africa and support Africa's broader modernization efforts.
🌐 Both leaders pledged to coordinate closely in BRICS, the G20 and the United Nations to defend multilateralism, uphold the global trading system and promote reforms in global governance that benefit developing countries.
🔥 President Ramaphosa echoed China's one-China policy stance, reaffirming that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. He also reiterated South Africa's support on core issues and thanked China for backing the country's development, welcoming more Chinese investment and Africa–China partnerships to deliver real benefits for their peoples.
✨ As the G20 Summit unfolds today in Johannesburg, all eyes are on how this deepening political trust will translate into concrete actions and future-ready cooperation between two of the most influential players on the global stage.
Reference(s):
China ready to deepen political trust with South Africa: Premier Li
cgtn.com
