There was an embarrassing moment for host South Africa at the summit of the BRICS economic grouping. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s translator was dutifully running after his boss when he was attacked by security guards for no reason.
Security guards in the Republic of South Africa beat down Xi Jinping’s translator, he said he looked suspicious | Video: Associated Press, Reuters
In Johannesburg, South Africa, the countries of the BRICS economic group – i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China and the Republic of South Africa – gathered at the annual summit. A chaotic situation ensued as individual heads of state walked the red carpet on Wednesday.
As Xi entered the main part of the venue, his translator hurried after him. But he did not get into the room. The security guard immediately pounced on him and slammed him against the wall with full force. In the end, she closed the door on him and prevented him from following the Chinese president. According to foreign media, security came to suspect that some Chinese official was “strangely creeping” behind him.
The whole situation was captured on video, on which Xi Jinping can be seen looking behind him several times incomprehension. The Chinese President eventually kept his composure and continued walking down the carpet as a rather bizarre scene unfolded behind him.
The BRICS group was established in 2009 as an informal club of four. A year later, it expanded to include the Republic of South Africa, and the current name BRICS began to be used for it. Representatives of five countries, which represent roughly 40 percent of the world’s population and a quarter of the global economy, decided to invite six countries to become new members of the bloc. They will send an invitation to Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
