The recent China-South Africa Defense Committee's ninth session, conducted from November 29 to December 3, 2023, has just concluded. The deliberations encompassed the international and regional security landscape, national defense strategies, military advancements in both nations, and collaborative military initiatives between China and South Africa.

Subsequently, the two sides formalized their discussions by signing cooperative agreements. Both parties expressed a mutual commitment to leverage the strategic role of the China-South Africa Defense Committee mechanism.

The press release from the Chinese Ministry of Defence does not share any details of the agreement, and attempts to contact the Chinese representatives did not yield any new information, and no official South African statement has yet been made public.

Chinese-South African relations have been increasingly close recently, with military visits and exchanges, as well as naval exercise drills occurring annually.

In September, in the aftermath of the BRICS Summit held in Sandton General Chang Dingqiu, Commander of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLA Air Force), paid a high-level visit to the South African Air Force (SAAF) headquarters, a demonstration of the deepening military ties between the People’s Republic of China and South Africa.

The encounter, which occurred from September 13, aimed to fortify military relations and cooperation between the two air forces. Lieutenant General Wiseman Mbambo, Chief of the South African Air Force, welcomed General Dingqiu and his delegation.

During the BRICS summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa engaged with Chinese President Xi Jinping, celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations and co-chairing the China-Africa Leaders’ Dialogue in Johannesburg.

General Dingqiu emphasized the need to enhance cooperation, particularly in military training and search and rescue operations. The Chinese delegation, consisting of six members, received briefings on South Africa’s military aviation, visited SAAF bases and units, and called on Defence and Military Veterans Minister Thandi Modise.

This visit followed the courtesy call by Vice Admiral Hu Zhongming, Chief of Staff of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), to South African Navy Chief Vice Admiral Monde Lobese at Naval Headquarters in Pretoria.

The PLAN’s visit aimed to strengthen naval relations, building on joint naval exercises, including the multilateral Exercise Mosi involving China, Russia, and South Africa.

The historical ties between China and South Africa trace back to China's support for the African National Congress during the apartheid era.

Recent years have witnessed an uptick in defense cooperation, marked by high-level delegations, reciprocal visits, and multinational maritime exercises.

China's commitment to assisting South Africa in areas like defense technology development and joint operations support training underscores the increased closeness of the relationship.

While South Africa has traditionally maintained formal neutrality between the Western and Eastern global power blocs, recent cancellation of the longstanding joint US naval exercises and the addition of joint exercises with Iran, as well as increasingly bolder deviations from US foreign policy stances (e.g., Ukraine, Israel), has indicated a shift toward a more partisan allegiance.