China confirms Xi will attend economic summit in S Africa followed by state visit

Foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a statement that during his August 21-24 visit to South Africa, Xi will co-chair the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue with his South African counterpart Ramaphosa. The Brics Summit is the first to be held in person since 2019 and comes as the bloc seeks new relevance amidst Russia's war in Ukraine and sharpening competition between Asian giants China and India.