STORY: Xi's attendance at the 15th BRICS Summit and state visit to South Africa
DATELINE: Aug. 27, 2023
LENGTH: 00:05:46
LOCATION: Beijing
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SIFISO MAHLANGU, Editor-in-chief of The Star (South Africa's leading newspaper)
2. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
3. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ANIL SOOKLAL, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa
4. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): CHEIKH TIDIANE GADIO, Former Senegalese foreign minister
5. SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
6. SOUNDBITE 6 (English): CLAYSON MONYELA, Official, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
7. SOUNDBITE 7 (English): MONICA MUTSVANGWA, Zimbabwean Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
8. SOUNDBITE 8 (English): CAVINCE ADHERE, Kenya-based international relations scholar
9. SOUNDBITE 9 (English): FIKILE MBALULA, Secretary General of the African National Congress
10. SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President

STORYLINE:

Aug. 21
Johannesburg, South Africa

On Aug. 21, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa to attend the 15th BRICS Summit and pay a state visit to South Africa.

On Aug. 21, a signed article by President Xi titled "Sailing the Giant Ship of China-South Africa Friendship and Cooperation Toward Greater Success" was published on South African media.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): SIFISO MAHLANGU, Editor-in-chief of The Star (South Africa's leading newspaper)
"A joint vessel is a great metaphor. It's not just metaphorical. We are seeing it unfold."

On Aug. 22, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held a welcome ceremony for President Xi in Pretoria, South Africa.

On Aug. 22, President Xi and President Ramaphosa held talks in Pretoria.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
"The key to the good relations between China and South Africa and their deep friendship lies in the fact that the two countries and the two parties share weal and woe on their respective development paths and have forged a profound friendship."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): ANIL SOOKLAL, South Africa's BRICS Sherpa
"President Ramaphosa and President Xi are reflecting on the journey we have traveled these past 25 years. This is an important visit on two fronts."

On Aug. 22, President Xi received the Order of South Africa from President Ramaphosa after their talks.

The Order of South Africa is the highest decoration and the highest honor that South Africa awards to an important and friendly head of state.

On Aug. 22, President Xi and President Ramaphosa jointly met the press after their talks in Pretoria.

In the speech, Xi said
Our world today has become a community with a shared future in which we all share a huge stake of survival.
 
Xi said
What people in various countries long for is definitely not a new Cold War or a small exclusive bloc; what they want is an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys enduring peace, universal security and common prosperity.
Such is the logic of historical advance and the trend of our times.

On Aug. 23, Chinese President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov posed for a group photo during the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

On Aug. 23, President Xi delivered an important speech titled "Seeking Development Through Solidarity and Cooperation and Shouldering Our Responsibility for Peace" at the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.

In the speech, Xi stressed
We BRICS countries share extensive consensus and common goals.
No matter how the international situation changes, our commitment to cooperation since the very beginning and our common aspiration will not change.

Xi stressed
We need to act on the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation to bring more countries into the BRICS family, so as to pool our wisdom and strength to make global governance more just and equitable.

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): CHEIKH TIDIANE GADIO, Former Senegalese foreign minister
"Xi Jinping, generally speaking, is very concrete in terms of making proposals, suggestions and showing the way forward. So I have a lot of respect for him. His leadership towards concrete actions."

On Aug. 23, President Xi met with Senegalese President Macky Sall on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 23, President Xi met with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 23, President Xi met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 23, President Xi met with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 24, President Xi delivered an important speech at a press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit.

BRICS leaders agreed to invite six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to join the group.

SOUNDBITE 5 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
"The expansion marks a new starting point for BRICS cooperation. It will inject fresh vitality into the BRICS cooperation mechanism, and further strengthen the forces for world peace and development."

SOUNDBITE 6 (English): CLAYSON MONYELA, Official, Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa
"This decision by the BRICS leaders to adopt and admit new full members has completely changed the geopolitical landscape, completely and permanently. The world, as we know it, is no longer the same."

On Aug. 24, President Xi delivered a speech titled "Hand in Hand Toward a Community of Shared Development" at the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue in Johannesburg.

In the speech, Xi stressed
The international community must pursue the larger interests of all countries, respond to people's concerns, and restore development to the center of the international agenda.

On Aug. 24, President Xi posed for a group photo with other leaders attending the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue in Johannesburg, South Africa.

On Aug. 24, President Xi met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 24, President Xi met with President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 24, President Xi met with Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 24, President Xi met with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 24, President Xi met with Namibian President Hage Geingob on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit.

On Aug. 24, President Xi posed for a group photo with participants attending the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue.

On Aug. 24, President Xi co-chaired with President Ramaphosa the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue in Johannesburg.

Xi stressed
China and Africa, through our creative explorations for modernization, are giving our answers to the questions of our times, and making joint efforts to advance the great endeavors of win-win cooperation, harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity of civilizations.

Xi stressed
As we join hands to advance modernization, we will deliver a better future for the Chinese and African people, and set a fine example in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

SOUNDBITE 7 (English): MONICA MUTSVANGWA, Zimbabwean Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services
"Our expectation is just to see a united Africa working together with the BRICS member countries to benefit our people."

SOUNDBITE 8 (English): CAVINCE ADHERE, Kenya-based international relations scholar
"The BRICS Summit is a very strong platform for collaboration. It has provided an opportunity for developing countries to merge in global governance."

SOUNDBITE 9 (English): FIKILE MBALULA, Secretary General of the African National Congress
"BRICS is very important to the rest of the world. And China, South Africa, and all other nations working together is an important initiative."

SOUNDBITE 10 (Chinese): XI JINPING, Chinese President
"Let's work together to write a new chapter of solidarity and cooperation among emerging markets and developing countries for development."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beijing.
(XHTV)