As we commemorate International Mandela Day, celebrating this icon of humanity born on July 18 one hundred and four years ago, it is worth juxtaposing South Africa’s relations with the United States of America (USA) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). Chinese President Xi Jinping
Kirtan Bhana, Director and Founder of the Diplomatic Society
Interviews with Ambassador Wu Peng of China to South Africa who recently took up his post and with Ambassador Reuben Brigety of the USA to South Africa published in local media reflects the stark differences in the relations and cooperation between China and South Africa and the USA and South Africa.
Ambassador Wu presents a conciliatory and complementary position of China’s diplomatic interactions with South Africa while US Ambassador Reuben Brigety concedes that there is a need for improvement in the relations and deepening of understanding of the South African-US rapport Rolihlahla Nelson Mandela and his liberation movement, the African National Congress (ANC), were once listed as terrorists by the USA.
As we commemorate International Mandela Day, celebrating this icon of humanity born on July 18 one hundred and four years ago, it is worth juxtaposing South Africa’s relations with the United States of America (USA) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). The USA appears to be in a state of decline, whereas China has made phenomenal progress and unprecedented development in the last five decades.
This contrast reflects the current rebalancing of global geopolitics.
President Xi Jinping, in his address at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, announced further steps in the modernisation of China and advancing the reform process. These add to the over 2 000 reform measures President Xi has introduced in the past decade. His reforms have been compared to the bold steps taken by former CPC Chair Deng Xiaoping, whose visionary leadership propelled China's economic growth to its current position as the world's second-largest economy, poised to surpass the USA under Xi's profound yet pragmatic leadership.
The Government of National Unity (GNU) formed in South Africa after the 2024 general election was determined by the will of the electorate, who expressed their preference for a collective, people-cantered government. The South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), representing labour unions, were instrumental in liberating South Africa from apartheid and white supremacist ideology. Along with the ANC, they formed the tripartite alliance that led the political transition and economic transformation of the nation.
The GNU of 1994, led by President Nelson Mandela, sought to reconcile a racially divided nation, despite the ANC's overwhelming majority. The ANC leadership also opted for a market economy, eschewing nationalisation of the financial and economic sectors, a decision influenced by the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War.
The USA's adherence to outdated and irrelevant ideologies is leading it down a path of decline, risking the collapse of the "American Empire," which includes countries particularly in the West aligned with the USA. The USA has taken exception to China's meteoric progress and, as with South Africa, uses coercion, manipulation, and threats to undermine the advancement of these nations instead of addressing its own underdevelopment and regression.
South Africa is China’s leading trade partner on the African continent and its largest trade partner globally. President Xi has paid four visits to South Africa, the most recent being last year, coinciding with the watershed BRICS summit hosted in Johannesburg which saw expansion of the group to include four other countries. This visit elevated the well established strategic comprehensive partnership between the two countries, resulting in ten further cooperation agreements.
Americans trapped in a vicious cycle of debt are feeling the dire effects of mismanaged finances, heavily influenced by lobby groups and big corporations. The economic situation has been exacerbated by the risky government policy of quantitative easing, which has had a detrimental impact on inflation. The USA's anti-capitalist protectionism and unilateral sanctions have backfired, failing to achieve their intended punitive effects and deepening the economic fissures.
The US is trying to take advantage of the upcoming AGOA meeting to exert pressure upon South Africa while China is encouraging more cooperation and welcomes more SA products into the Chinese market. The African Growth and Opportunity Act – AGOA was implemented in 2000 by the US to move away from the Aid model to promote economic trade with the African continent It began with good intention as the Aid projects showed little or no benefit to the masses and funding ended up in the pockets of the elite.
The intention of AGOA has unravelled and become weaponised as African countries who do not pander to the US have been excluded.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that Israel's occupation of Palestine is illegal, despite US threats of sanctions, indicates a loss of trust and faith in the US administration.
The case against Israel’s illegal activities was brought to the court by South Africa, which empathises with and fully supports the Palestinian cause for statehood, given its own history of apartheid. This action has raised the ire of the USA, which ironically champions itself as the ultimate defender of democracy, justice, and human rights.
The inhumane slave trade of Africans, particularly, connects Africa and the Americas, and the civil rights movement's resistance to racial injustice bonded African Americans and South Africans in the fight against discrimination and white supremacy. In the 30 years since its democratic transition, South Africa has made significant strides in national reconciliation, embracing the strength and splendour of its diverse population, a contrast to the growing racial tensions being experienced in the US.
The CPC's whole-process democracy, based on widespread consultation and consensus, facilitates effective and efficient implementation, evident in China's progress. The Communist Party has governed the PRC for seven decades, with progressive and dynamic policies that have inspired and empowered its human resources, leading to national development and prosperity. In contrast, the USA has been regressing under outdated policies, multiple administrations, and party politicking, trapping its citizens in unpayable debt.
The current disarray, including an attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and the withdrawal of the current president as a candidate for re-election, poses a security risk, especially given the nation's large military force.
A true friend can express their differences and point out shortcomings as South Africa has relayed to both China and the US. China has been sensitive to the concerns that South Africa has raised and has addressed these concerns allowing relations to flourish. While in contrast, the US has been complacent and on occasion intimidating in coercing South Africa to comply. In this instant age of information and communication, resolutely and effectively managing change can usher in a new era of conciliation and collective prosperity.