South African President Ramaphosa Visits China at Xi Jinping’s Invitation

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa will embark on a state visit to China next week, accepting an invitation from Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit, scheduled from September 2nd to 5th, will see Ramaphosa attending the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing. He will be accompanied by 10 ministers from the Government of National Unity, governors from the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces, and other high-ranking officials. China and South Africa share a strong history of cooperation, with the Chinese Communist Party being a long-standing ally of the African National Congress (ANC). China has consistently supported the ANC since the 1960s, contributing to the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa. This visit is expected to further strengthen economic ties, with China being South Africa’s largest trading partner globally and South Africa being China’s top trading partner in Africa. Bilateral trade between the two nations continues to grow, reaching 692 billion rand (35.1 billion euros) in 2023.