China extends support to South Africa over G20 amid Trump threats

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China on Friday extended support to South Africa after US President Donald Trump's threats of not inviting South Africa to the 2026 G20 summit in Florida.

Beijing "looks forward to working with South Africa and all other G20 members to defend multilateralism, promote world economic growth and improve global economic governance," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular news conference in Beijing.

The G20 summit, hosted in South Africa's capital Johannesburg, last month was "a full success highly commended by the international community," Guo said.

"The G20 has long been committed to solidarity, cooperation and equal-footed consultation. As a founding member of the G20, South Africa attended all the previous summits and has all along played an important role in the group. China supports South Africa in continuing to participate in G20 cooperation," he added.

Trump did not send a US delegation at the recent G20 summit, saying he did so because Afrikaners were being persecuted in the country, a claim rejected by Pretoria.

He said South Africa refused to hand over its G20 hosting responsibilities to a representative of US embassy when the summit ended.

The gavel is normally handed to the leader of the next presidency.

A low-key ceremony was later held at South Africa's foreign ministry, and the US assumed the 12-month G20 presidency on Dec. 1.