This photo taken on June 20, 2025 shows a city view at night in north China's Tianjin Municipality. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)
China is playing a crucial role in stimulating the global economy through investment, consumption and strengthened partnerships, which is vital for long-term cooperation, said a S. African media executive.
by Xinhua writers Song Rui, Sui Lixi
TIANJIN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China has been focusing on trust and mutually beneficial partnership, which makes it a trustworthy and preferred partner for other countries, Rayhaan Surve, deputy chairman of Independent Media, a leading South African multi-platform content company, said in an interview with Xinhua on Wednesday.
The 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, was held in north China's Tianjin Municipality from June 24 to 26.
Surve told Xinhua during the forum that China is playing a crucial role in stimulating the global economy through investment, consumption and strengthened partnerships, which is vital for long-term cooperation.
"This cultivates future markets and consumers, bringing benefits to both China and its partner countries," he added.
Surve described recent turbulence in global trade as a "big disruption," saying that while the United States seeks to refine its global position through so-called "reciprocal tariffs," the impact is disrupting the world economy, creating widespread uncertainty and undermining consumer confidence globally, including in the United States.
However, challenges also bring opportunities. Surve observed that although multilateralism faces pressure, the willingness of nations to cooperate has not diminished. Instead, they are exploring new pathways for collaboration.
Guests communicate with each other during the 2025 Summer Davos Forum at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Tianjin) in north China's Tianjin Municipality, June 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)
"We will hopefully see new relationships defined outside the U.S.," Surve said, adding that after the disruption of traditional economic ties, international cooperation is expanding.
Surve said many countries are opening their doors to investments from different sources. "Diversifying away from traditional, dominant partners is certainly happening ... Overall, it will benefit the world's economies," he said.
Having visited China's port cities like Tianjin, Dalian, Guangzhou and Haikou, Surve praised China's pivotal role in global trade. "These are major trading ports that China has been able to scale up significantly, creating key points globally," he said.
Smooth and stable shipping logistics also underpin close trade ties between China and South Africa, he added.
As China remains South Africa's largest trading partner, China's manufactured goods are popular in South Africa, while South African agricultural products meet the demand in the Chinese market, he said.
"We can further enhance public-private and private-private cooperation to promote more commercial and technological investment," Surve said.
At the forum, he said that China's experiences in economic development and infrastructure building could offer valuable insights for South Africa and the broader African continent.
He noted that as China continues to grow, there is strong potential for deepening bilateral cooperation within the BRICS framework and expanding exchanges between the two countries.
What South Africa truly needs is a strong investment partner to "help us drive economic growth and sustain the innovation we've fostered over the years," Surve said.
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