The Chinese leader's first visit to South Africa took place in March 2013
On Tuesday, 22 August, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will receive the President of the People's Republic of China on a state visit.
Xi Jinping's trip to Pretoria will coincide with the first day of the 15th BRICS Summit, which starts from 22 to 24 August and will be held at the Sandton Convention Centre. This is the fourth state visit by the Chinese leader.
The first was in March 2013, when Xi met with former President Jacob Zuma and also attended the 5th BRICS Summit. This was followed by a second state visit in December 2015 and a third in July 2018, when he also attended the 10th BRICS Summit.
Over the years, South Africa and China have continually sought to strengthen and consolidate both economic and diplomatic ties, with key investment projects already underway in South Africa.
This January marks 25 years since the first diplomatic relations were established in 1998, and to date China remains South Africa's largest trading partner.
In 2021, South Africa's exports to China totalled US$20.6 billion and China's imports from South Africa totalled US$32.54 billion, as reported by Pretoria News, a partner of TV BRICS.
Based on industry statistics, South Africa ranks as the second-largest recipient of Chinese investment within Africa's mining sector. Additional information regarding the forthcoming investments is anticipated to be disclosed during the upcoming summit.
Photo: Pretoria News
