WANGXIANGSouthAfricanAmbassadortoChinaDolanaMsimangThisisabigyearforSouthAfricaandBRICS.ThecountryassumedtheroleofchairofBRICSonJanuary1andwillremaininthispositionuntilDecember31.Inaddition,theyearisamilestoneasthe10thBRICSSummitwillbehostedinJohannesburgonJuly25-27,whichwillbeprecededbynumeroussectorialBRICSministerialeventsandmeetings.
SouthAfricaregardsBRICSasacatalysttoitscoreforeignpolicypriorities,suchaspromotingtheAfricanUnion(AU)agendasandtheUN2030SustainableDevelopmentAgenda,advocatingforglobalgovernancereforms,andembodyingSouthSouthcooperationandsolidarityinaspiritofmutuallybeneficialcollaboration.FromaglobalSouthperspective,BRICSisoneoftheforemostworldmechanismsborninthepost-SecondWorldWarandBrettonWoods鈥檖eriodthatpertinentlyaddressestheneedsoftheglobalSouth.
BRICSachievements
Inthepastdecade,BRICShasevolvedandexpandeditsmandatebeyondtheinitialeconomicfocusthatbroughtthememberstogethertoincludepolitical,security,socialandotherrelevantmatters.Ithasestablisheditsownviable,credibleandinternationallycomparablefinancialinstitutions,namelytheContingentReserveArrangement,theNewDevelopmentBank(NDB)andNDBAfricaRegionalCenter(ARC).Infact,itwasinSouthAfricain2013thattheBRICSleadersfirstdeliberatedandendorsedthesekeyinstitutions.WhatBRICShasachievedinthiscontextshowsithasbeenaresoundingsuccess.
SouthAfricahas,fromtheonsetofjoiningBRICSinlate2010,aligneditseffortsinBRICSwiththoseontheAfricancontinent.ThishasseenBRICS鈥檚upportforAfricandevelopmentalaspirations,notablythroughbackingAfrica鈥檚ownvisionasembodiedintheAUAgenda2063andrelatedcontinentalprograms,toadvanceindustrializationandinfrastructuredevelopmentonthecontinent.Thiswillenhanceintra-Africaeconomiccooperationandintegrationinitiatives.
OneofthecoremandatesoftheNDBARCistomobilizeresourcesforinfrastructureandsustainabledevelopmentprojectsinBRICSandotheremergingeconomiesanddevelopingcountries.TheAfricancontinentisintegraltothevisionandmandateoftheNDBARC.Throughthecenter,thecontinentwillbenefitfromfundingofitsinfrastructureprojects,andalsofromtheideathattheNDBARCwillideallyserveasanAfricancenterofexcellencethatspecializesincapacitybuildingandtechnicalassistance.
SouthAfricaisfirmlyoftheviewthatAfrica-BRICScooperationpresentsnewpossibilitiesforregionalintegrationandbroadbasedeconomicdevelopmentthroughinternationallybalancedtraderelations,highlyneededfinancingofinfrastructure,transferoftechnologyandskillsaswellassocialandculturalexchange.
SouthAfricaandChina
SouthAfricavaluesitsmembershipofBRICSsinceitenablespromotionofeconomicdevelopmentthroughenhancedtradeandinvestment,expandssectorsinwhichSouthAfricaholdsacomparativeadvantageandevenprovidesoverseasinvestmentopportunitiesforSouthAfricanenterprises.BRICSalsoprovidesSouthAfricaanopportunitytoinfluencepolicymakingandalignmentamongdevelopingcountriestomaketheinternationaleconomicsystemmoreinclusive.
SouthAfricahashistoricallyhadstrongbilateraltieswithotherBRICSmembers.SincejoiningBRICS,SouthAfricahasseenacomplementaryinteractionbetweenthismultilateralcooperationandtheexistingbilateralcooperation.Inthisregard,SouthAfricaandChinahaveenjoyedexcellenteconomicrelationsovermanyyears,whichareunderpinnedbytheComprehensiveStrategicPartnershipaswellastheFiveto10-YearStrategicPlanonCooperation(signedin2010and2014respectively).
SouthAfrica-Chinabilateraltradeandinvestmenttieshavegrownexponentiallyoverthepast20yearsandthattradehasincreasedfromonly1.8billionrand($137.9million)in1994to318billionrand($24.4billion)in2017.ChinahasbeenSouthAfrica鈥檚largestsinglecountrytradingpartnersince2009.
AnewlayertotheburgeoningrelationsbetweenSouthAfricaandChinaistheSouthAfrica-ChinaHigh-LevelPeople-to-PeopleExchangeMechanism(PPEM)whichwaslaunchedinSouthAfricain2017byLiuYandong,thenVicePremierofChina.ThePPEMwillallowthetwocountriestoexchangeinformation,identifycommonobjectivesandstrategiesandcreateopportunitiesforpeoplesinbothcountriestobenefitfromthesharingofsocial,culturalandeconomiccapitalacrossgovernment,academia,businessandcivilsociety.TheSecondMeetingofthePPEMisscheduledtotakeplaceinChinalaterin2018.
PrioritiesasBRICSchair
ItmayberecalledthatSouthAfricafirsthostedtheBRICSSummitineThekwini(Durban)in2013.ThissummitsawthecreationoftheBRICSBusinessCouncilandalsoinitiatedthenegotiationsforthesettingupofaBRICSbank,whichwaslaterestablishedastheprimaryoutcomeofthe2014BRICSSummitinFortaleza,BrazilunderthenameNDB.
ItwillalsoberecalledthatSouthAfricainitiatedtheBRICSoutreachmechanismwhenithosted,onthemarginsoftheBRICSeThekwiniSummit,aBRICS-AfricanLeadersDialogueForumRetreatthatwasattendedby12AfricanLeaders,representingtheAU,theNewPartnershipforAfrica鈥檚DevelopmentandtheeightAURegionalEconomicCommunitiesofAfrica.ThismodelhassincebeenreplicatedbysubsequenthostsandSouthAfricahopestobuildfurtheronthisinitiativeasthecurrentchair.
AschairofBRICS,SouthAfricawillensurecontinuityofprogramsforBRICS,andiscommittedtoexecutingapproximately100sectorialmeetings,reflectiveoftheexpandedBRICSarchitecture.AspecificfocuswillbegiventothechallengesandopportunitiespresentedbytheFourthIndustrialRevolution.
Thethemeforthe10thBRICSSummitis鈥淏RICSinAfrica:CollaborationforInclusiveGrowthandSharedProsperityintheFourthIndustrialRevolution.鈥漈histhemeisreflectiveofthecoreprioritiesofeachoftheBRICSmembers,notablytostrivetowardthecreationofaninclusivesocietyandglobalpartnershipsthatwillbringprosperitytoallmankind.
InaccordancewiththeBRICStraditionofoutreachandcooperationwithfellowdevelopingandemergingeconomies,whichwasstartedbySouthAfricain2013,atwoprongedoutreachapproachthroughtheBRICS-AfricaDialogueandtheBRICSPluscooperationduringthesummitwillalsobepursued.
WithregardtotheBRICS-AfricaDialogue,SouthAfricawillinvitetheleadersofRwanda,Senegal,Gabon,Uganda,Ethiopia,Togo,Burundi,NamibiaandAngola,aswellasthechairoftheAfricanUnionCommission.
SouthAfricaintendstofurtherengenderameaningfulandproductiveinteractionbetweenBRICSandAfricanpartners,whileattemptingtocontributetotheBRICSinstitution-buildingagenda,throughthetwoproposals,namely,theestablishmentofaworkinggrouponpeacekeepingandavirtualvaccineresearchplatform.Asin2013,aleaders鈥檕utreachsessionwillbeincorporatedthatincludesAfricanpartners.
SouthAfricawillalsofeaturetheBRICSPluspracticeintroducedbyChinain2017,aimedatbuildingwiderpartnershipsthroughdialoguewithotherdevelopingcountriesandinternationalorganizations.
AschairofBRICS2018,SouthAfricaseekstosolidifytheBRICSpartnershipandfostergreatermutualunderstandingamongpeoplesofBRICSmemberstates.
TheintentionfromtheonsethasbeentomakemeaningfulandqualitativecontributionstotheoperationsandinstitutionsofBRICS.ThisisreflectedinthekeyproposalsputforwardasBRICSchairin2018,anditistrustedthatthefullsupportofSouthAfrica鈥檚partnerswillstrengthentheseproposalsandbringthemtofruition.
**TheauthorisSouthAfricanAmbassadortoChina.Thefullversionofthiscommentarycanbeseenonwww.chinafrica.cn
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