Can ‘reliable friend’ China fill the gap as US pressures allies to snub South Africa?
On the same day South Africa is disinvited from the G7 summit following threats from Washington, Beijing offers tariff-free trade
On Thursday, Pretoria said that Ramaphosa’s invitation – issued personally by French President Emmanuel Macron at last year’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg – had been withdrawn because the organisers did not want a no-show from the United States.
Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told the SABC, the national broadcaster, that Pretoria had been informed that the “Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited”.
Despite the snub, Magwenya maintained that Pretoria’s relationship with France remained unaffected.
Ramaphosa also downplayed the reports. When asked about the issue on Thursday, he told reporters: “The invitation to the G7 does not mean that you’re being snubbed if you’re not invited or you’re being ignored.”
France denied that South Africa’s exclusion from the summit, to be held in Evian in June, was the result of pressure from Washington, adding that Kenya had been invited instead because Macron was going to visit Nairobi for this year’s Africa-France Summit.
Han said the two nations were “true friends who have shared weal and woe” and pledged continued support on issues of mutual concern.
He added that as China further opened up its markets, it would create expanded opportunities for cooperation.
South Africa, China’s largest trading partner on the continent, will now be able to export thousands of products – including minerals, wine and fruit – to China under a zero-tariff regime.
In 2024 and 2025, South African exports to China were dominated by mineral products and precious metals – specifically gold, iron ore and platinum – and various other ores such as chromium and manganese.
Meanwhile, South African imports from China consist of finished products, mainly telephones, computers, motor vehicles and electrical machinery, according to data from the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
In a meeting with Ramaphosa in Cape Town on Thursday, Han said China was ready to expedite “early harvest” arrangements under the Economic Partnership Agreement for Common Development, a free-trade agreement that he said would ensure South Africa benefited from zero-tariff measures over the long term.
“Faced with a complex and volatile international situation, China is willing to continue to be South Africa’s most reliable friend … and jointly enhance the influence and voice of the Global South in international affairs,” Han said.
Ramaphosa said the country’s relationship with China was “unique and strategic, development-oriented, and has effectively promoted the development and progress of South Africa and Africa”.
He said South Africa would “make good use of the zero-tariff policy” to expand exports and deepen cooperation in infrastructure, investment and technology.
In contrast, US President Donald Trump has been pushing for a 30 per cent “reciprocal tariff” on South African exports, including cars and agricultural products.
Although the US Supreme Court recently struck down the initial implementation of this rate, Washington has launched new investigations to establish a legal basis for the levy.
South Africa’s relations with the US reached a breaking point last year when Washington boycotted the G20 summit in South Africa. The White House has since confirmed it would not invite Ramaphosa to this year’s G20 event in Miami.
Mihaela Papa, director of research and principal research scientist at the MIT Centre for International Studies in the US, said the visit reinforced the value of the China-South Africa relationship and was a show of solidarity as Pretoria faced increasing friction with some Western partners.
“China’s duty-free offer is significant because it gives South Africa more room for manoeuvre, but it is not an immediate substitute for the US market,” Papa said.
US Trade Representative figures show that US goods imports from South Africa reached US$16.5 billion in 2025, up 12.1 per cent from 2024.
Papa said: “Offsetting a potential loss of this magnitude would require a similar composition of Chinese demand and deeper reliance on China, which may create new vulnerabilities because of the asymmetry in the relationship.”
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South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile said after meeting Han there was potential to expand cooperation in modernising ports, and rail and road networks to unlock growth and regional integration.
China has also agreed to help revitalise South Africa’s industrial base by investing in its mining and smelting industries.
Beijing further committed to deepening energy security through joint gas-to-power and nuclear-to-power developments, while expanding technical training for young South Africans in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and electric vehicle technology.