Upcoming summit in S. Africa to add new impetus to BRICS cooperation, says Wang Yi

JOHANNESBURG -- China looks forward to South Africa hosting a successful BRICS summit and injecting new impetus into BRICS cooperation, Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said here on Tuesday.

Wang, who attended the meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Johannesburg, made the remarks in a phone conversation with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Conveying cordial greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Ramaphosa, Wang noted that this year is the BRICS' "South Africa Year," saying that China supports South Africa in hosting a successful BRICS Summit next month.

China believes that South Africa will achieve success in four aspects under Ramaphosa's leadership, said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The four aspects include making good preparation to ensure a successful summit, actively coordinating the positions of all parties to reach consensus on the growth and development of BRICS and opening up new prospects for the BRICS mechanism, Wang said.

Meanwhile, China also looks forward to South Africa planning important high-level exchanges between China and South Africa to push their comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, and carrying out a China-Africa high-level dialogue to strengthen China-Africa unity and cooperation and achieve new progress in building a China-Africa community with a shared future, he added.

Noting that China and South Africa enjoy a friendship of "comrades plus brothers," Wang said that no matter how the international situation develops, China will firmly stand with South Africa.

China supports South Africa in accelerating its development and revitalization, as well as in playing a bigger role on the regional and global stages, Wang said.

For his part, Ramaphosa said that South Africa attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields. Ramaphosa also expressed his thanks to China for supporting South Africa's hosting of the BRICS Summit.

South Africa is prepared to ensure that the upcoming BRICS summit will be a complete success, Ramaphosa said. South Africa also hopes to take the summit as an opportunity to push for greater progress in South Africa-China relations and Africa-China relations, he added.

During his visit to South Africa, Wang also held talks with South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor.