President Jacob Zuma left the country on Tuesday for a two-day Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) bloc summit in China.

South Africa will attend the April 14 to 15 summit, which will take place in the beach resort of Sanya, for the first time after receiving a formal invitation from China last year.

Zuma is accompanied by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Economic Development Minister Ebrahim Patel and Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies.

Zuma would use the summit as an opportunity to convey appreciation for South Africa’s invitation to become a full member State of Brics and to highlight the importance the country attached to the partnership, the Presidency said in a statement on Tuesday.

He would also ensure synergy of the Brics mechanism agenda with the development and economic priorities of Africa such as infrastructure development, minerals beneficiation and value-addition, and agroprocessing.

Leaders are expected to focus on international issues of mutual interest, economic and financial issues, development issues including discussions around climate change and sustainable development, and the programme of cooperation among Brics member States.

South Africa would also be participating in the Brics Business Forum on Wednesday and Thursday and the Brics Banking Cooperation Mechanism scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday on the sidelines of the summit.

The summit was preceded by a Brics think-tank seminar in Beijing late last month, which an academic delegation from South Africa participated in.