Yang Changli attended the BRICS Business Forum and signed a memorandum of cooperation with the south African Presidency for Electricity

On the afternoon of August 22, 2023 local time, as an important event of the 15th BRICS  Summit, the 2023 BRICS Business Forum was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled “Enhancing Solidarity and Cooperation to Overcome Risks and Challenges and Jointly Build a Better World” at the closing ceremony of the forum. Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech that our world today has become a community with a shared future in which we all share a huge stake of survival. The collective rise of EMDCs represented by BRICS is fundamentally changing the global landscape. Whatever resistance there may be, a positive and stable force for good, will continue to grow. We will forge stronger BRICS strategic partnership, expand the “BRICS Plus” model, actively advance membership expansion, deepen solidarity and cooperation with other EMDCs, promote global multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations, and help make the international order more just and equitable. More than 20 countries are knocking on the door of BRICS. China hopes to see more joining the BRICS cooperation mechanism!

▲On August 22, Yang Changli attended the BRICS Business Forum

The 2023 BRICS Business Forum, with the theme of “Achieving Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development”, discussed a series of economic, political, humanistic and global governance-related issues. Leaders from government departments, business circles and international organizations of the five BRICS countries attended the meeting . Yang Changli, Chairman of China General Nuclear Power Corporation, attended the forum and had in-depth exchanges with representatives of relevant companies on the development of the energy industry in South Africa and Southern Africa.

▲On August 23, Yang Changli attended the memorandum signing ceremony and delivered a speech

On the morning of August 23, Yang Changli attended the signing ceremony of the memorandum of cooperation between Chinese enterprises and the South African Presidency for Electricity and delivered a speech. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity in the South African Presidency, signed a cooperation memorandum with eight Chinese entities, including China General Nuclear Power Corporation, China-Africa Development Fund, and State Grid, aiming to support energy development in South Africa and promote long-term cooperation between both countries.

Yang Changli said that the cooperation between CGN and South African business dates back to the establishment of twinning plant relationship between Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station and Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in the 1990s. Both sides have cooperated in the operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants, and have effectively promoted the long-term safe and stable operation performance of the two power plants. In recent years, CGN has increased its investment in new energy sector such as wind power and solar energy in South Africa and achieved preliminary success. Under the guidance of the “South Africa Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan” and the “Belt and Road Initiative”, CGN is willing to take this signing event as an important opportunity to work with energy partners of both countries to increase investment and help advance South Africa’s clean energy transformation, to support South Africa’s efforts of localization and industrialization, and to contribute to maintain sustainable growth of China-South Africa economic and trade relations.

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said that China has the world’s largest renewable energy installed capacity, and it’s nuclear power installed capacity is also in the global leading position. China has advanced nuclear power technology and flexible financing options; therefore the South African government has chosen to establish a cooperative relationship with Chinese companies. Both countries also plan to carry out cooperation in coal power emission reduction, renewable energy, financing and other aspects. South Africa hopes to work with all contracting parties to inherit and carry forward the tradition of friendship, deepen pragmatic cooperation in the energy field, and help the relationship between the two countries to reach new high.