A spokesperson for South African president has lauded his country's relationship with China as "an excellent bilateral partnership reflected in multilateral reflections".

Speaking to China Daily on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit that opened in Johannesburg on Saturday, Vincent Magwenya emphasized that China and South Africa remain closely aligned on many key issues — especially those at the center of South Africa's G20 presidency — adding that there is "no doubt or ambiguity" about the strength of cooperation between the two nations.

The summit, which is being held on the continent of Africa for the first time, opened under the theme of "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability", with more than 40 heads of states from around the world participating.