The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday confirmed that President Xi Jinping will attend the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, followed by a four-day state visit. He will co-chair the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa during his visit from August 21 to 24.
China is a core member of the BRICS group, which also includes India, Brazil, Russia and South Africa. The upcoming summit will be hosted by South Africa. All Business Councils from the BRICS countries are expected to bring large delegations to participate in sector-focused visits to various South African areas.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said BRICS had been “taking on increasing international influence" and that China is looking forward to working with South Africa to "joint pursue development and revitalization and make a positive contribution to a multipolar world and greater democracy in international relations.”
“All sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on prominent global challenges, enhance coordination and cooperation in international affairs, and inject stability and positive energy into today’s world,” Wang said.
Earlier this year, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor confirmed the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that all member-states will participate in a range of discussions. PM Modi was invited by the President Ramaphosa.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the meeting in person due to the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to his actions in Ukraine. This was followed after a report from a United Nations-backed inquiry asserted that Russian attacks against civilians in Ukraine, including systematic torture and killing in occupied regions, amount to war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity.
Most of the BRICS countries differ sharply from the position of the US and its Western allies on the Ukraine war. Speaking ahead of the meeting, the South African ambassador, Anil Sooklal, referred to the West's military aid to Ukraine as one of the things that “fuels the conflict.”
The BRICS summit is the first to be held in person since 2019 and comes as the bloc seeks new relevance amidst Russia’s war in Ukraine, South Africa’s crashing economy and sharpening competition between China and India.
As the summit is set to convene soon, around 20 countries have formally applied to join the alliance, including Argentina, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Iran and Venezuela, said Brazilian Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira.
(with AP inputs)
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