Tensions about China using Huawei to spy or sabotage systems. China is South Africa’s largest trading partner.
Both South Africa and China are BRICS member countries. BRICS is expanding membership, setting up a bank, and there are rumours of a common trading currency.
I don’t think anyone seriously expects one BRICS nation to reject another BRICS nation’s tech on the say-so of an unaligned country, even if that country is the US.
South Africa has a close relationship with China, its largest trading parter and will host it together with other BRICS members Brazil, Russia and India at a summit on Aug. 22-24.
The South African government is aligned to Russia and China despite the general population having strong ties with the West.It’s all about the Chinese backhanders.
Corrupt leaders gunna do what corrupt leaders do.
It’s a bit of a misconception that the general population has strong ties to the west. It’s mostly the minority upper middle to rich class( that happens to still be mostly white) that are west-aligned.
The vast majority of the population are unaligned.
It’s been quite a common incorrect perception to equate the minority moneyed classes’ opinions and ideoligies to the that of the majority population, when it’s simply false.
Shooting their own knees with a shotgun, their own problem.
The US sure cares a lot about where other countries buy their stuff from, including countries that are not formal allies. It’s creepy, like a guy in your neighbourhood rummaging through your shopping receipts.
