Chinese ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng has blasted the US over its diplomatic spat with South Africa, demanding the administration of President Donald Trump respect South Africa as the president of the G20.
“We all know this is the first time the G20 has entered Africa,” Wu said in parliament on Friday. “This is the honour of the whole continent. So, I believe all members of G20 must respect that, must show their collaborative attitude to the hosting country.”
Wu’s remarks came after Trump said last Sunday he was freezing foreign aid to South Africa pending an investigation into the way the government was allegedly “confiscating land”.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio followed up days later by announcing that he would not attend the meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg this month, also citing the Expropriation Act among other issues.
“South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability’. In other words: DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] and climate change. My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism,” Rubio tweeted.
Some politicians from a Western country misinterpreted the word ‘win-win’. They say that means China wins twice.
— Ambassador Wu Peng
Wu, addressing parliament’s portfolio committee on international relations & co-operation, said Trump’s “brinkmanship” was counterproductive to global trade. The US president imposed a 10% tariff on goods from China this week.
“You know... some politicians from a Western country misinterpreted the word ‘win-win’. They say that means China wins twice. No, I think that is totally wrong. We are committed to mutual benefit.”
Wu said the expansion of Brics would boost the development agenda of the Global South.
Without naming the US, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his state of the nation address on Thursday that the world was witnessing the “rise of nationalism and protectionism and the pursuit of narrow interests”.
“This is the world that we, as a developing economy, must now navigate. But we are not daunted. We will not be deterred. We are a resilient people. We will not be bullied. We will stand together as a united nation.”
Speaking at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, Business Unity South Africa president Mxolisi Mgojo, who is also chair of Business 20 (B20), urged local businesses and the government to take full advantage of South Africa’s G20 presidency.
“This B20 is going to the US next year. But we are already hearing these statements from some government officials saying that they are not even going to come and attend some of the G20 engagements which are taking place in the next month or so.
“All these issues about sustainability, inclusivity, equitable progress, are something now that has been put into disarray. It’s not about that for some nations. And therefore, this is going to be a big challenge for us as the B20, given the fact that we’ve got all the big G20 representative countries involved in this policy formation.”
Wu pledged that Beijing would address the $1.14bn (R20bn) trade imbalance between China and South Africa and would allow in more South African exports such as meat, red wine, citrus and rooibos.
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