On April 29, 2025 local time, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola in Rio de Janeiro.

Wang Yi said that as major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies, China and South Africa bear significant responsibilities in promoting solidarity and cooperation among the Global South and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries. The bilateral relationship holds important significance that goes beyond the bilateral scope. China appreciates South Africa's adherence to the one-China principle and its firm commitments on the Taiwan question, which is essential for China and South Africa to become all-round strategic cooperative partners in the new era and constitutes an effort to uphold the universally recognized basic norms governing international relations. As a good brother and partner, China also firmly supports South Africa in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions and will continue to provide assistance within its capacity to South Africa's development.

Wang Yi said that the United States seeks to prioritize its own interests, resorts to protectionism, and arbitrarily imposes tariffs on the whole world including Africa, which is a typical unilateral bullying act. China's necessary countermeasures are not only to safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests but also to defend the common interests of the Global South. China is ready to work with African countries to uphold self-reliance and self-strengthening, unity and cooperation, and firmly keep the destiny of our countries and nations in our own hands.

Ronald Lamola said that South Africa and China share a brotherhood and solid mutual trust, with close exchanges maintained across various departments and at all levels between the two countries. South Africa firmly pursues the one-China principle, and stands ready to deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields such as economy and trade, new energy, education, and capacity building, work for more achievements of the all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between the two countries, and jointly implement the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. At present, unilateral protectionism is impacting the multilateral trading system and threatening Africa's sustainable development. The Global South must strengthen cooperation and jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core and a fair and equitable international economic order.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on enhancing cooperation within the G20 framework.