RIO DE JANEIRO - China firmly supports South Africa in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions and will continue to assist within its capacity to South Africa's development, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

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As major developing countries and representatives of emerging economies, China and South Africa bear significant responsibilities in promoting solidarity and cooperation among the Global South and safeguarding the common interests of developing countries, Wang said.

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China is willing to work with African countries to uphold self-reliance and self-strengthening, unity and cooperation, keeping the nations' destiny firmly in their own hands, he added.

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Lamola, for his part, said South Africa firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to deepen practical cooperation with China in economy and trade, new energy, education and capacity building.

He noted that current unilateral protectionism is impacting the multilateral trading system and threatening sustainable development in Africa, emphasizing the need for enhanced cooperation among the Global South.