Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu on Thursday met with Naledi Pandor, South Africa's minister of international relations and cooperation, with the two sides vowing to promote the high-quality development of BRICS mechanism.

The two met on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting, which kicked off on Thursday in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa.

Under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the South Africa has developed deeply, Ma pointed out.

He told Pandor that China is willing to work together with South Africa to enhance political mutual trust, strengthen pragmatic cooperation and promote the relationship between the two countries to a new level.

Ma pledged China's full support to South Africa's BRICS chairmanship and called for solidarity, consensus, cooperation among BRICS nations.

Pandor noted that South Africa and China have a special friendly relationship of "comrades and brothers." The two side have always understood and supported each other on major issues, and have achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation in various fields, she added.

South Africa is willing to work with China and other BRICS partners to consolidate the momentum of solidarity and cooperation, enrich the content of practical cooperation, and promote the successful outcome of the 15th BRICS summit.

BRICS is the acronym for an emerging-market bloc that groups Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa assumed the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2023, taking over from China.

(Cover: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu on Thursday meets with Naledi Pandor, South Africa's minister of international relations and cooperation in Cape Town, South Africa, June 1, 2023. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)