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.

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 23  — By convening on African soil for the first time, the 20th Group of 20 (G20) Summit sends an unmistakable signal: the Global South is no longer content with being a passive rule-taker. It is stepping forward as a collective force to improve global governance and drive development.

Accounting for around 85 percent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population, the G20 remains a primary platform for global governance. This year’s G20 South Africa Summit’s Leaders’ Declaration underscores that multilateral cooperation is essential to tackling global challenges, and it calls for stronger support for developing countries to advance inclusive growth and sustainable development.

Such calls come at a time when unilateralism, protectionism and geopolitical tensions are reshaping the international landscape, global economic recovery is fragile, development gaps continue to widen, and institutions meant to safeguard multilateral cooperation, including the United Nations, are under strain. These pressures have laid bare a deepening governance deficit that the Global South is increasingly unwilling to accept as the status quo.

In the meantime, the rise of emerging markets and developing countries has sharpened awareness across the Global South that the existing global governance system neither fully reflects their interests nor adequately represents their voice.

Against this backdrop, the two-day summit, themed “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” takes on heightened significance. Global South countries made clear their expectation that all parties should uphold multilateralism, bridge the North-South development divide, and work toward a more inclusive and equitable global development framework — one capable of bringing greater stability to an uncertain world.

China’s actions reflect this broader shift. As an important member of the G20 and the largest developing country in the world, China, in September, proposed the Global Governance Initiative, which rests on five core principles: upholding sovereign equality, adhering to the international rule of law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and prioritizing concrete actions. The initiative has received widespread recognition, with many highlighting China’s constructive role in providing global public goods and advancing fairer global governance.

China-Africa cooperation illustrates how Global South partnerships can translate shared priorities into tangible development gains. Grounded in the development realities of African countries, this cooperation has strengthened their capacity-building efforts and drawn greater attention to Africa’s long-neglected development agenda. It has also helped amplify the collective influence of the Global South in global governance reform.

Meanwhile, China and Africa have worked together to advance the building of a fairer and more equitable international order and to voice the aspirations of Global South countries on the world stage, enabling the Global South to play an increasingly important role in the ongoing transformation of global governance.

Global governance is at a new historic turning point, and the need for multilateral cooperation and shared development has never been greater. As major forces of the Global South, China, Africa, and other developing countries should continue working together, uphold fairness and justice, and advance practical cooperation to help steer global governance toward a more just and equitable system. Namibia Daily News / Xinhua

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 22  — During his ongoing trip to Africa, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for deeper China-Africa cooperation to create broader room for future collaboration and advance common development, as reflected in a range of pro-development China-Africa projects.

In talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa ahead of the 20th Group of 20 (G20) Summit scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Li said on Friday that China is ready to continue working with South Africa to carry forward their traditional friendship, and expand cooperation across various fields, so as to better promote the common development of the two countries, as well as unity and cooperation between China and Africa as a whole.

China and South Africa have jointly initiated a cooperative initiative to support Africa’s modernization, and encourage the international community to increase attention and investment in Africa, he said.

De Aar Wind Power Project, the first wind project in Africa developed, built and operated by a Chinese power company, now stands as South Africa’s largest operational wind farm, supplying clean electricity to about 300,000 households and thus helping ease the country’s power shortages.

Standing as a flagship example of long-standing China-South Africa cooperation, the project exemplifies how joint efforts can turn Africa’s modernization aspirations into tangible results.

“De Aar has really, really, really benefited so much,” said Thabiso Moleko, a deployment counselor with the De Aar Department of Employment and Labor in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province, noting that the wind power project has fostered skills development among local people.

“In the future, as a resident of the Northern Cape myself, we really want to see a big collaboration, want to see people working, want to see a better De Aar, want to see a better South Africa,” Moleko said.

During his official visit to Zambia on Thursday, Li attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway revitalization project in Zambia’s capital of Lusaka, where he said that China-Africa cooperation has embarked on a new journey toward the shared dream of modernization.

Describing the railway as a landmark project of China-Africa cooperation, Li said that China stands ready to work with Zambia and Tanzania to ensure that this railway, brimming with hope, shines with renewed splendor in the new era, and injects greater vitality into the development of Tanzania and Zambia, and even the entire Africa.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and Tanzanian Vice President Emmanuel Nchimbi, who attended the ceremony together with Li, said that revitalizing the railway embodies the shared future of the three nations and their joint efforts to build a better tomorrow, and that the railway will become a vivid example of how Chinese and African people carry forward their friendship and work together for revitalization.

Also at the ceremony, Li said that China will help implement more “small and beautiful” projects in areas such as healthcare, poverty alleviation and agricultural development along the line to better improve people’s livelihoods.

“Smile Journey,” a Chinese medical program aimed at providing free surgical treatment to local patients with cleft lips or palates, was launched in Zambia earlier this month, a testament to China’s commitment to such projects in Africa.

As one of the outcomes of last year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit, the program is expected to benefit about 60 Zambian patients with the condition.

The trajectory of deepening China-Africa cooperation is clearly visible in the steady growth of trade and the alignment of policy frameworks.

At the 2024 FOCAC summit, China announced that it would give all the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, including 33 African countries, zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, becoming the first major developing country and first major economy to take such a step.

This year, China has done even more to share its market dividends, extending the treatment for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations.

Li highlighted the policy in separate meetings with the presidents of Zambia and South Africa, stressing its role in boosting bilateral trade and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.

China is ready to work with Zambia, taking the implementation of China’s zero-tariff treatment for Zambia as an opportunity, to expand bilateral trade and tap cooperation potential in industrial sectors such as mining, new energy vehicles and artificial intelligence, Li told the Zambian president on Thursday.

By lowering trade barriers and expanding import quotas, the policy enables developing nations to integrate into global value chains on fairer terms, a move hailed by experts on Africa.

“Africa is the continent with the largest number of least developed countries, and China’s zero-tariff measure aims to drive industrial cooperation upgrading through large-scale trade, enhance China-Africa cooperation, and encourage more countries from the Global South to jointly pursue modernization,” said Yang Baorong, a researcher at the China-Africa Institute. Namibia Daily News/ Xinhua

SANAA, Nov. 23 — A Houthi-run court in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Saturday sentenced 18 Yemeni aid workers employed by United Nations humanitarian agencies to death for allegedly spying for Israel.

The ruling says that the “convicts” will be executed by firing squad in a public place in Sanaa. Meanwhile, the same court handed two others, including a woman, 10-year prison terms on the same charges.

In a statement broadcast by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the court accused the convicts of providing Israel, the United States, Britain, and Saudi Arabia with information on dozens of Houthi leaders’ locations, movements, and secrets related to political, military, and security matters, as well as information about missiles, including their launch sites and storage facilities.

The court added that the convicts recruited several citizens, installed surveillance cameras, and received payments in return, actions that led to attacks on multiple military, security, and civilian sites, causing dozens of deaths and extensive infrastructure damage.

In August, a series of Israeli airstrikes on Sanaa — carried out in response to Houthi missile and drone attacks toward Israel — killed dozens of Houthi officials, including 12 “ministers” and Mohammed Abdulkarim al-Ghamari, chief of staff of the Houthi military forces, dealing a major blow to the movement.

In response, the Houthis stormed several UN aid agency offices, detaining dozens of Yemeni aid workers, including those sentenced Saturday.

Last week, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV aired footage showing those sentenced delivering what the Houthis claimed were “confessions.”

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has strongly condemned the Houthis, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all UN aid workers, and warned that obstructing humanitarian relief in Yemen puts millions at risk of famine.

Since October 2023, the Houthis have launched a series of missile and drone attacks toward Israel to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Israel responded with airstrikes on Houthi-controlled sites and cities, resulting in casualties. (Xinhua)