During a high-level dialogue held on the margins of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile reaffirmed the depth of bilateral relations between China and South Africa, with both nations committing to broadening strategic cooperation in areas such as trade, energy, infrastructure and global governance.
Premier Li described the bilateral relationship as one rooted in mutual respect and shared strategic vision, echoing prior commitments made by President Xi Jinping and President Cyril Ramaphosa during their meeting in Beijing in September 2024. According to Li, China remains committed to furthering political trust and enhancing mutual development outcomes, framed within the long-standing framework of the comprehensive strategic partnership that has defined China South Africa relations since its inception in 2010.
Notably, the Chinese Premier expressed China’s readiness to align development strategies with South Africa by facilitating increased market access for South African exports. He noted that discussions were underway toward signing an economic partnership agreement that would support shared development goals and reinforce China’s offer of zero tariff treatment on all products from African countries maintaining diplomatic ties with Beijing. This offer forms part of China’s broader pledge to deepen economic integration with Africa under the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
China has consistently advocated for the import of more competitive and diverse African goods, a move that has already begun to alter conventional North South trade hierarchies. Premier Li noted that this framework presents an opportunity for African industries to expand their global footprint beyond the traditional dependency pathways often defined by extractive exports.
Investment in South Africa remains a key area of cooperation. China has expressed support for increased participation of Chinese enterprises in the South African economy, particularly in emerging sectors such as renewable energy, electric vehicles, digital innovation, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Premier Li called for reciprocal protection of Chinese firms and personnel operating within South Africa, underlining the importance of legal and institutional safeguards for foreign investors, an area often noted by international observers monitoring foreign direct investment flows on the continent.
Deputy President Mashatile, representing the South African government, welcomed Chinese investment and reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the one China policy, a long-standing diplomatic position upheld by the African Union and most African states. He highlighted South Africa’s strategic interest in leveraging China’s zero tariff scheme to expand its manufacturing and agricultural exports, underscoring the potential for mutually beneficial trade underpinned by industrialisation, not raw commodity dependency.
Mashatile also welcomed China’s support for Africa’s digital and green transitions, stating that South Africa views the partnership as a platform to deepen sustainable development goals and enhance people to people exchange. Notably, he acknowledged the role of China’s four global initiatives — the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilisation Initiative, and the Global AI Governance Initiative — aligning their intentions with South Africa’s call for multilateral reform and a rebalanced global order.
Both leaders reiterated their commitment to the multilateral agenda, particularly within platforms such as the United Nations, BRICS and FOCAC. Premier Li reaffirmed China’s willingness to work with the African Union and Global South partners in pursuit of a fairer, more equitable international system. In this context, the G20 Summit, hosted for the first time on African soil, represented a symbolic and strategic moment for African voices to be re-centred in global economic conversations, including those on debt, development finance and climate justice.
This meeting follows China’s wider engagement with African nations in recent years, which has prioritised infrastructure investment, knowledge sharing, vocational education and value addition within local industries. While critics of China’s growing presence in Africa often cite concerns about dependency and transparency, many African leaders view these engagements through the lens of sovereign agency and long term diversification of global partnerships beyond the traditional Western axis.
The conversation between Premier Li and Deputy President Mashatile therefore reflects a broader pan African momentum toward redefining continental agency in foreign affairs. It reveals an intent to shape development and diplomacy through African terms, centring narratives that speak to human dignity, economic justice and systemic balance.
As the geopolitical landscape shifts, the South Africa China partnership underscores how African states are seeking plural frameworks for cooperation that do not merely reproduce extractive or asymmetrical models. Instead, the emerging dialogue gestures toward a more polycentric world, where African agency in multilateral institutions is not only acknowledged but structurally enabled.
