China offers South Africa help with BRICS summit security while arrest warrant out for possible attendee Putin

Name: China-Russia joint air patrols spark security concerns in South Korea, Japan
Uploaded: 2023-06-09T11:00:20.000Z
Duration: 2 min 53 s
Description: China-Russia joint air patrols spark security concerns in South Korea, Japan

As signatory to the International Criminal Court, South Africa would be obliged to execute the warrant, however it has issued diplomatic immunity for attendees

Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong and South African Police Minister Bheki Cele also discussed belt and road security and transnational crime

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Neither Russia nor South Africa have confirmed whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the BRICS leaders’ summit in Johannesburg on August 22-24 but China is nevertheless discussing security arrangements in the lead-up to the meeting. Photo: Sputnik

Amber Wangin Beijing

Published: 7:00pm, 9 Jun 2023Updated: 7:08pm, 9 Jun 2023

China’s top police officer has promised South Africa that Beijing will help bolster security for the BRICS summit in August amid controversy over Russian President Vladimir Putin’s possible attendance while an international warrant is out for his arrest.

During a meeting with South African Police Minister Bheki Cele in Beijing on Thursday, Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong said China was willing to work with South Africa to “strengthen the security” of the BRICS summit to be held in Johannesburg on August 22-24.

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China-Russia joint air patrols spark security concerns in South Korea, Japan

BRICS is made up of members China, India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa. The possible attendance of Putin – who is the subject of a war crimes arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court – has put South Africa’s handling of the warrant and summit security under the spotlight.

The ICC issued the warrant for Putin in March, accusing him of the unlawful deportation of children and unlawful transfer of people from the territory of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

As a signatory to the ICC, South Africa would be obliged to execute the warrant if Putin visited the country for the summit.

However, South Africa issued diplomatic immunity for attendees in late May. Its foreign ministry said it was South Africa’s “standard” conferment of immunity for international conferences and summits held in the country and “the immunities are for the conference and not for specific individuals”.

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