adminXi is making the visit at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, South African President Jacob Zuma and President of the Republic of Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Xi will also attend the fifth leaders’ summit of Brics countries, to be held from March 26 to 27 in Durban, South Africa.
Brics is an economic bloc representing five of the world’s leading emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
Meanwhile, Xi has urged China to pursue the “Chinese dream” but experts say behind the grandiose words, he is single-minded in his aim to bolster Communist Party rule.
The president faces myriad challenges from pollution and graft to territorial spats, unsteady growth in the world’s number two economy, and widespread inequality bringing the threat of social unrest.
Xi, named as president last week by the National People’s Congress, called for “the continued realisation of the great renaissance of the Chinese nation and the Chinese dream” in his first speech as head of state on Sunday.
Xi’s “Chinese dream” concept is itself an effort to “redefine the purpose of the party, so that there is a greater sense of the party being united with the people”, said David Zweig, a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Like all leaders since Deng Xiaoping, Xi agrees on the need for China to press ahead with economic reforms pursued since 1978, spurring an historic economic boom.
Since November, when he took over the reins as party chief from Hu Jintao, Xi has proclaimed the need to fight growing corruption which threatens, in his own words, to “kill the party” that has ruled China since 1949.
Xi Jinping’s over-riding priority, said Steve Tsang, an expert in Chinese politics at Britain’s University of Nottingham, is “whatever it takes to keep the show on, the party in power and (make) China more powerful and influential”.
“They will be trying to project a clear image and message to the country in China that they are tackling the big issues like corruption, like government abuse of power.”
Scott Harold, a China expert at the Rand Corporation in the United States, said: “If you look at Xi Jinping there are reasons to think that he believes that now China is a great power and China has to act like a great power.” — Xinhua/AFP.
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