Johannesburg — Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng, on an official visit to South Africa, told senior Pretoria officials on Thursday that Beijing “resolutely opposes any external interference” in the country’s domestic affairs. His comment, delivered at a closed-door meeting with Deputy President Paul Mashatile, was released afterwards by China’s foreign ministry. Han framed respect for sovereignty as the basis of Beijing’s Africa policy and urged deeper China-South Africa cooperation in trade, investment and infrastructure.
South Africa’s presidency issued a brief statement saying Mashatile “welcomed China’s consistent position of non-interference” and reaffirmed Pretoria’s right to “determine its own developmental path”. No new agreements were announced. Analysts note the exchange comes amid Western pressure on Pretoria over its foreign policy choices, including its non-aligned stance on the Ukraine war and July naval exercises with Russia and China.
