Chinese President arrives in South Africa for BRICS Summit

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in South Africa for his fourth state visit to the country, coinciding with the 15th BRICS Summit.

Xi’s plane touched down at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport at midnight on Monday, where he was greeted with a cultural performance and a military parade presented by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).

President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed Xi, who is set to be hosted in Pretoria on Tuesday, just before the BRICS summit commences on August 22.

South Africa will learn alot from China

BRICS, composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, is a consortium of emerging economies that collectively accounts for a quarter of the global economy and encompasses over 40 per cent of the world’s population.

In his weekly column, President Ramaphosa highlighted that 2023 marks 25 years of diplomatic relations between South Africa and the People’s Republic of China.

He noted the significance of this relationship, highlighting that it has grown in tandem with South Africa’s democratic journey.

Ramaphosa further praised China’s accomplishments, particularly its achievement in lifting around 800 million individuals out of poverty in a span of four decades.

He expressed that South Africa has much to learn from China’s development trajectory.

President Bola Tinubu attends Benin Republic’s 63rd independence anniversary

In another news, the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu traveled to Cotonou to participate in the Republic of Benin’s 63rd independence anniversary.

He arrived on Tuesday morning and was warmly received by President Patrice Talon and other top government officials.

The President was accompanied by some of his political aides and six governors, namely Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq (Kwara), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), and Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger).