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President Jacob Zuma is set to meet with leaders from China and Russia ahead of the 5th BRICS summit, which gets underway in Durban on Tuesday evening.
Zuma will hold talks with China's Xi Jin Ping at the Union Buildings in Pretoria this morning, before meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Durban.
Several agreements are expected to be signed during the meeting which could see economic ties between China and South Africa being strengthened.
A declaration on strategic partnerships with Russia could also be signed.
Meanwhile, trade unions have warned that a one-size-fits-all approach by BRICS member states will hurt all five countries.
They are demanding that leaders improve the lives of millions of workers that carry the economies of the member states.
Cosatu's Zwelinzima Vavi says the economic crisis that European countries are grappling with, is a prime example of what happens when leaders try to impose the same set of reforms on all countries in an economic bloc...
"The BRICS cant be another exclusive bigger boys club in a manner that is going to work against the interest of the rest of the developing countries" he said.
The Centre of Indian Trade Union's Suresh Kumar says last month's nation-wide strike in India showed that the growing gap between the rich and poor in the developing world, can't be ignored as it leads to an increase in social tension.
