Will China fill gap left by the US at G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s plan to skip the Group of 20 foreign ministers’ talks in Johannesburg next week could leave room for China to assume leadership of the group amid a dispute between South Africa and the United States, analysts said.

Beijing has confirmed that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend, but Rubio will not, having accused Pretoria of having an “anti-American” agenda.

The move raises concerns over whether US President Donald Trump will attend the G20 summit in November when South Africa is expected to hand the rotating presidency to the US for 2026.

The G20 foreign ministers’ meeting on February 20-21 will be followed by the G20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs in Cape Town on February 26-27. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has not said if he will attend.

Trump has accused South Africa of “confiscating land” and “treating certain classes of people very badly”. He has also cancelled US aid to South Africa pending an investigation into the Expropriation Act, which grants the South African government the power to acquire private land for public use as long as fair compensation is provided.

  

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