Chinese President Xi Jinping held a flurry of sideline meetings with various Global South leaders Wednesday on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg:

• ETHIOPIA: Xi informed PM Abiy Ahmed that China would suspend payments on all debts maturing in the 2023-2024 period as part of the Common Framework debt restructuring initiative. Ethiopia is China’s second-largest borrower in Africa. (@PMETHIOPIA)

• SENEGAL: President Macky Sall often receives diplomatic priority among the Chinese due to Senegal’s role as co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Sall thanked Xi for Beijing’s support of the African Union’s admission to the G20. (XINHUA)

• BANGLADESH: No specific issues emerged from the read-out of Xi’s talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It’s notable that Beijing has placed more emphasis on its relations with Dhaka as ties with India have steadily worsened. (XINHUA)

• CUBA: Xi promised President Miguel Díaz-Canel to support Cuba’s defense of its national sovereignty against the United States and said Beijing will expand strategic coordination with Havana. Díaz-Canel said ties with China are at an “all-time high.” (REUTERS)

The Chinese Foreign Ministry does not provide advance information about the president’s schedule, so it’s unclear if or how many bilateral meetings are scheduled for Thursday before his departure.