JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 24– China stands ready to work with South Africa to firmly support each other and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Sunday. Li made the remarks when meeting with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile on the sidelines of the 20th Group of 20 (G20) Summit held here on Saturday and Sunday.

China and South Africa are good friends and brothers enjoying a deep friendship, Li said. In September last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, in Beijing and reached important consensus on advancing bilateral ties, Li said.

China stands ready to work with South Africa to follow the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, further enhance mutual political trust, firmly support each other, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and deliver more outcomes of their all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

Li noted that China is ready to step up alignment with South Africa and help more quality and competitive South African products enter the Chinese market by negotiating and signing an agreement on economic partnership for shared development and advancing in South Africa the early implementation of China’s zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines for African countries having diplomatic relations with China.

China supports more competitive Chinese companies in investing in South Africa and enhancing cooperation in such areas as new energy, automobiles, healthcare, digital economy and infrastructure, with a view to broadening and upgrading bilateral cooperation to better serve the modernization of both countries, Li said.

He expressed the hope that South Africa will better protect the lawful rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and the safety of their personnel.

China-South Africa cooperation has long played a leading and demonstrative role in China-Africa cooperation, Li said, pledging that China is ready to strengthen communication with South Africa within frameworks including the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), promote the implementation of the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, and jointly create a bright future of development and prosperity for China and Africa.

Li called on the two sides to step up multilateral coordination and work with the wider Global South countries to promote a more just and equitable international order. For his part, Mashatile expressed gratitude for China’s strong support for South Africa as the host of the G20 Summit.

Stressing that South Africa firmly upholds the one-China policy, Mashatile said that his country stands ready to take China’s implementation of zero-tariff treatment in African countries as an opportunity to deepen bilateral cooperation in economy and trade, industry, agriculture, digital economy and green development, and to enhance people-to-people exchanges so as to advance the continuous and in-depth development of the all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between the two countries.

Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest and operate in South Africa, and South Africa will spare no effort to ensure the safety of Chinese nationals and companies, he said. Mashatile also said that South Africa highly commends the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi and is willing to work with China to promote multilateral communication and coordination, uphold multilateralism, safeguard the authority of the United Nations and promote the common development and prosperity of Global South nations. Namibia Daily News / Xinhua

LILONGWE, Nov. 24 — Malawi and Uganda have pledged to deepen trade collaboration, focusing on opportunities that benefit both countries.

Speaking on Saturday at the closing of the two-day Malawi-Uganda Business Forum and Exhibition in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania Fred Mwesigye said Malawi stands to gain from a range of trade opportunities in Uganda across agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and technology.

Mwesigye highlighted Uganda’s establishment of a motor vehicle production plant, which manufactures both fuel-powered and electric vehicles with an annual capacity of 5,000 units, noting that Malawi could benefit from the growing automotive industry.

The envoy also expressed confidence that the two countries can effectively leverage regional and continental frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area to tap into larger markets, reduce business costs, integrate value chains, and create synergies for mutual benefit.

Sphiwe Mauwa, director of administration at Malawi’s Ministry of Industrialization, Business, Trade, and Tourism, said her country is committed to creating an enabling environment for Ugandan businesses as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral trade relations.

She added that the Malawi government will work to address challenges faced by international investors seeking to do business in Malawi.

Held under the theme “Exploring and Tapping into the Rich Opportunities for Deeper Collaboration,” the forum attracted government officials, regulators, investment promotion agencies, financiers, and transport and logistics players from both countries.  Namibia Daily News / Xinhua

GENEVA, Nov. 23 — After further talks with the Ukrainian delegation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday evening declined to reveal any details of the day’s discussions in Geneva between the United States, Ukraine, and European partners on a 28-point peace plan.

At a press briefing at around 6 p.m. local time, both the U.S. and Ukrainian sides confirmed “progress” in their earlier talks about the U.S.-proposed plan to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Although they told reporters to wait for updates later in the evening, only Rubio returned to the press two and a half hours later.

He said he was not prepared to provide any details on the specific issues under negotiation. Rubio reiterated that the day’s negotiations had been “productive,” adding that he remained “very optimistic” about reaching an agreement within a “very reasonable period of time very soon.”

However, he also noted that “There’s no agreement yet … (some) require higher-level decisions and consultation.”

He added that the differences include semantics or language, and there are still issues “need more time to work through.”

“The items that remain open are not insurmountable,” he emphasized. He added that some contents involve equities or the role of the European Union or of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, requiring further discussion with the European partners.

The Ukrainian delegation did not return for a second briefing. Following the talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that it was essential to ensure that “the steps to end the war are effective, and that everything is doable.” (Xinhua)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24– The White House said on Sunday that the United States and Ukraine drafted an “updated and refined” peace framework during talks in Geneva, Switzerland. Both sides agreed to continue to work on joint proposals in the coming days, according to a joint statement released by the White House.

And final decisions under this framework will be made by the presidents of Ukraine and the United States. The statement also noted that Ukraine expressed its gratitude to the United States and to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump lashed out at Ukraine in a social media post, accusing its leaders of being ungrateful. “Ukraine’s leadership has expressed zero gratitude for our efforts,” he wrote.

Representatives from the United States, Ukraine and European countries met in Geneva on Sunday as the White House pushes for agreement on a 28-point plan to end the Ukraine crisis.

Following a meeting between the Ukrainian delegation and national security advisers from Britain, France and Germany, the Ukrainian side held bilateral talks with the U.S. representatives. (Xinhua)

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 23 — The 20th Group of Twenty (G20) Summit on Saturday adopted a declaration calling for strengthening multilateralism and fostering equitable global governance, despite the boycott of the United States.

“The G20 Presidency has culminated into a progressive declaration … that will revolutionize how the Global South participates and plays in the global economy,” South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola said following the announcement of the declaration.

The 122-point declaration, titled “G20 South Africa Summit: Leaders’ Declaration,” underscores the need to address global challenges through multilateral cooperation and calls for stronger support for developing countries to advance inclusive growth and sustainable development.

Although G20 members unanimously endorsed the declaration, the United States, which refused to attend the summit, has said that it would reject any outcome document presented as a G20 consensus without its consent. Tensions between South Africa and the United States have escalated since the start of the year.

The U.S. administration froze its assistance to South Africa, alleging that the Expropriation Act, a land reform law signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa in January, “discriminates” against white South Africans.

Observers said that South Africa angered the United States in December 2023 when it brought a case before the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza. Bilateral relations have remained strained throughout this year.

Citing what it called discriminatory land policies against white South Africans, Washington first cut development assistance to Pretoria and later expelled the South African ambassador. In August, the U.S. government imposed a 30 percent tariff on South African goods, making South Africa the sub-Saharan African country facing the highest U.S. tariff rate.

The South African government rejected Washington’s accusations as lacking “factual accuracy and failing to recognize South Africa’s profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid.”

Throughout this year, the United States has repeatedly said that no officials would attend the summit. South African G20 Sous-Sherpa Xolisa Mabhongo confirmed receiving a letter from the United States ahead of the summit, in which Washington said it would only accept a “chair’s statement” reflecting a lack of consensus.

In response, Chrispin Phiri, a spokesperson of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), said that the United States’ absence negates its role over the G20’s conclusions, reiterating that Pretoria would not be bullied.

“We cannot allow coercion by absentia to become a viable tactic,” Phiri said. “It is a recipe for institutional paralysis and the breakdown of collective action.”

Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson for President Ramaphosa, told reporters on Saturday at the media center that “the mere fact that we have an agreed declaration shows that the world is embracing multilateralism, and the world is embracing cooperation and collaboration.”

Stressing the multi-polar world is in real action, Lamola said: “The world is here, the African continent is here, global institutions are here. Multilateralism has been affirmed.”

Frank Lekaba, a senior lecturer of Wits School of Governance at the University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, hailed the adoption of the declaration as a win for Africa.

“I think it already reasserted the centrality of the G20 and the legitimacy of the G20 and the South African presidency,” said the expert.

South Africa assumed the rotating G20 presidency on Dec. 1, 2024, becoming the first African nation to hold the position. The United States is scheduled to take over the presidency on Dec. 1, 2025.

However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at Thursday’s briefing that only a U.S. envoy would attend the presidency handover ceremony at the end of the summit.

Magwenya on Saturday reiterated at the media center that the South African president will not hand over to a junior embassy official. “It is a breach of protocol that is not going to be accommodated or allowed in this instance.

It is a position of principle.” “America chose to boycott the summit. That is their choice and that is their prerogative to do so.

But what cannot happen is a breach of protocol being forced,” he noted. Briefing the reporters after the first session of the summit, Lamola said that the United States has to collect the G20 presidency from the DIRCO offices.

“No one will steal that spotlight. The African continent has made it,” said the South African foreign minister, highlighting the summit as an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the African continent.