Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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BRICS First? Nations Meet Amid Changing World Order

by Anita Powell

   JOHANNESBURG --

   China, the wealthiest member of the bloc of nations known as BRICS, is
   looking to further improve its international position as the group
   holds its annual summit in South Africa this week.
   President Xi Jinping made a state visit to summit host South Africa a
   day before the start of the three summit on Wednesday.

   Xi, who was unanimously elected by China's parliament to a new,
   limitless presidential term in March, praised China's 20-year
   diplomatic relationship with South Africa, as part of what appears to
   be a push to strengthen all of China's relationships.

   In his interpreted comments, Xi praised the relationship, which he said
   encompassed infrastructure, trade, investment, science and technology
   initiatives, and invited South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for a
   state visit in September.
   Ramaphosa reciprocated, saying in brief comments to assembled press:
   "The dynamism of the partnership between China and South Africa derives
   from a common desire to develop our bilateral relationship. And in
   fact, our common view is that the relationship between the two
   countries in many ways has gone beyond just being a bilateral
   relationship. It is a very strategic relationship which touches on a
   number of issues where we cooperate extremely well together for the
   mutual benefit of our two peoples."
   And the two put a value on that relationship, signing various economic
   and investment agreements worth $14 billion.
   Preparing for trade war
   But not all of China's relationships are so rosy as Xi prepares for
   this year's summit of the five BRICS nations -- Brazil, Russia, India,
   China and South Africa.
   The summit comes amid a rapidly shifting world order, one that has
   China as the main target of a brewing trade war, in which U.S.
   President Donald Trump is threatening to impose tariffs on all $505
   billion worth of Chinese imports.
   In response, China has said it will seek to build cooperation with
   other nations, like those in BRICS, where it is on more comfortable
   ground, according to China-Africa analyst Cobus Van Staden
   "Everyone who is actually involved would strenuously deny that there is
   a pecking order," he told VOA. "But I think also, the weight of the
   Chinese economy, the weight of China as an actor in the world, is
   significant; you can't talk around that,"
   Van Staden says other global developments -- like the relationship
   between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian Vladimir Putin -- could
   also affect this year's summit deliberations. Putin is expected at the
   summit.
   "This is definitely a very weird year," Van Staden said. "There's going
   to be a lot of other weirdness in the room as well, including tensions
   between China and India around the Belt and Road initiative. India is
   not very happy, but has not come out actively opposed to it. So that's
   another part of the tensions in the room."