On Friday, Spokesperson of China’s International Ministry, Hua Chunying, confirmed President Xi Jinping’s participation within the upcoming BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
President Xi Jinping shall be attending the fifteenth BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, following an invite from President Cyril Ramaphosa, Hua Chunying mentioned in an internet assertion.
She added, This go to, scheduled from August 21 to 24, can even embrace a state go to to South Africa.
In 2023, President Xi Jinping’s go to to South Africa is his second worldwide journey, having beforehand visited Russia in March.
These visits spotlight China’s strategic ambitions to increase its geopolitical sway and strengthen its international presence.
In 2018, President Jinping had already made a big go to to South Africa, aiming to boost China’s diplomatic and financial connections inside the African continent.
Along with collaborating within the BRICS assembly, President Jinping is scheduled to co-chair the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue alongside his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, as introduced by the Chinese language overseas ministry.
BRICS 2023
Initially coined by a Goldman Sachs economist in 2001, the time period BRIC captured the rising affect of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. These nations had their inaugural summit in Russia in 2009.
In 2010, South Africa joined the group, then the group got here to be acknowledged as BRICS.
South Africa is ready to host the BRICS 2023 summit. The leaders and diplomats from Brazil, China, India, Russia, and South Africa shall be assembly to debate the theme “BRICS and Africa” from August 22-24.
The summit’s key areas of dialogue will embrace potential BRICS membership enlargement, the notion of a shared foreign money, developments within the growth financial institution, the continued state of affairs in Ukraine, issues associated to meals safety and dialogue on Cooperation and partnerships.
Greater than 40 leaders, together with Cyril Ramaphosa from South Africa, Xi Jinping from China, Narendra Modi from India, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from Brazil, will meet in Johannesburg.
Nonetheless, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who’s beneath a world arrest warrant for alleged warfare crimes in Ukraine, will take part within the occasion by way of video reasonably than attending in particular person.
This example may very well be seen as probably embarrassing for Putin, as he’s anticipated to be the one chief from the bloc not attending in particular person.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov talked about that Putin has chosen to take part by way of video hyperlink, with out confirming his preliminary intention to attend in particular person.
“BRICS and Africa” : Membership Growth
The fifteenth BRICS Summit will embrace discussions about the potential of increasing BRICS membership.
Africa has change into a diplomatic battleground, the place Western nations, Russia, and China compete for affect. This competitors is fueled by elevated demand for minerals and worldwide divisions worsened by the battle in Ukraine.
South Africa’s BRICS ambassador, Anil Sooklal, talked about that by way of international energy dynamics, Africa and the World South are nonetheless seen as exceptions or unusual occurrences.
The summit in South Africa has prolonged invites to 69 nations, together with all African states, with a powerful give attention to potential growth.
Notably, nations similar to Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and Ethiopia have indicated their need to change into a part of the group, whether or not by means of formal or casual channels.
China, aiming to boost its geopolitical affect amid its rivalry with america, has expressed its openness to welcoming extra like-minded companions to hitch the “BRICS household” within the close to future.
In July, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune was acquired by China in Beijing. Throughout this go to, China highlighted its strong ties with Africa and promoted higher cooperation.
A joint assertion launched on the time acknowledged, “China welcomes Algeria’s optimistic inclination to change into a part of BRICS and backs Algeria’s efforts to hitch BRICS” The assertion additionally famous that Tebboune had prolonged an invite to Xi to go to Algeria.
Furthermore, Russia is in favour of growth too.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has expressed his help for added nations becoming a member of the group and plans to debate this matter throughout the summit.
Nonetheless, The Indian delegation goals to spotlight reforms that might improve the power and unity of BRICS, emphasizing that it’s not inflicting any delay within the growth efforts.
