Ramaphosa says China’s Xi will visit SA

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he will host President Xi Jinping on a state visit later this month, in what will be only the Chinese leader’s second trip abroad so far this year.

The two will meet in the capital, Pretoria, on August 22, Ramaphosa said in a brief statement on Monday. They’ll hold formal talks aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and sign a number of unspecified memorandums of agreement, according to a separate statement by the presidency.

Xi has spent only two days outside his country so far in 2023,  as mounting domestic problems from a faltering economy to rare political scandals demand the Chinese leader’s attention at home. He visited Moscow in March for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The meeting between Ramaphosa and Xi will take place on the first day of a Brics summit that is scheduled to run through August 24. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to attend that meeting in-person, while Putin is expected to participate virtually.