Latest news with #G-20
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Trump says he may skip G-20 summit in South Africa, cites policy disapproval
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Mr Trump has taken issue with South African domestic and foreign policies. WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on July 29 he might skip the upcoming Group of 20 (G-20) leaders' summit in South Africa in November and send someone else to represent the United States, citing his disapproval of South African policies. "I think maybe I'll send somebody else because I've had a lot of problems with South Africa. They have some very bad policies," Mr Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Mr Trump has taken issue with South African domestic and foreign policies - ranging from its land policy to its case accusing Israel of genocide in the US ally's war in Gaza. Mr Trump signed an executive order in February to cut US financial assistance to South Africa. In May, Mr Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a White House meeting. Earlier in 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted a G-20 foreign ministers' meeting in South Africa, which has the G-20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025. Washington, both under Mr Trump and former President Joe Biden, has complained about the case brought by South Africa at the International Court of Justice, where it accused Israel of genocide over its military assault in Gaza. Israel's assault has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and also led to accusations of war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel denies the accusations and casts its Gaza offensive as self-defence after a deadly October 2023 Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people and in which over 250 were taken hostage. Diplomatic relations between the US and South Africa have also been strained under Mr Trump due to South Africa's Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies to address the legacy of centuries of racial inequality. Mr Ramaphosa, who has urged Mr Trump to attend the G-20 summit, rejects Washington's claims that South Africa will use its land policy to arbitrarily confiscate white-owned land. REUTERS
Bloomberg
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Trump Floats Skipping G-20 Summit, Citing Rift With South Africa
President Donald Trump said he may skip the G-20 summit in South Africa later this year, saying he's open to sending someone else to the gathering of the leaders of the world's biggest economies. 'I think maybe I'll send somebody else, because I've had a lot of problems with South Africa,' Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, faulting the country for what he said were some 'very bad policies.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Business
- New York Post
Trump confirms possible China trip, but insists ‘not seeking' Xi summit
President Trump has revealed that he may jet over to China in the near future, but rebuffed suggestions that he is seeking a summit with Beijing counterpart Xi Jinping amid intense trade negotiations between the two economic superpowers. 'The Fake News is reporting that I am SEEKING a 'Summit' with President Xi of China. This is not correct, I am not SEEKING anything!' Trump wrote on Truth Social late Monday from Scotland, where he wrapped up a five-day visit Tuesday. 'I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest! Thank you for your attention to this matter.' Staffers for Trump and Xi have held discussions about setting up a meeting between the two leaders, potentially on the sidelines of the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in South Korea, which takes place Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Reuters reported last week. It is unclear whether any discussions of Trump traveling to China directly have been broached. 3 President Trump confirmed ongoing talks with China about him meeting with leader Xi Jinping. Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images 3 President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping's last in-person meeting took place in 2019. XinhuaTrump and Xi last met face-to-face in June 2019 on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The US and China have until Aug. 12 to reach a full-fledged trade agreement following a months-long truce that has seen duties temporarily come down from up to 145% on Chinese exports to the US and 125% on American goods. Negotiators from Washington and Beijing are holding a third round of talks this week in Stockholm. 'We have a good relationship with China,' Trump told reporters Monday at his Turnberry club on the west coast of Scotland. 'China's tough.' In 2024, China was the third-largest US trading partner among individual nations — behind only Mexico and Canada — with trade between the two nations amounting to $582.4 billion. Further complicating negotiations is Trump's looming threat to impose secondary tariffs of 100% against countries that trade with Moscow until the Kremlin ends its invasion of Ukraine and agrees a peace deal. China and India, in particular, have continued to purchase energy from Russia throughout the 41-month-old war on Ukraine. China has also been accused of providing Moscow's arms industry with critical supplies. 3 The Trump administration is currently involved in trade negotiations with China. Getty Images Beyond trade tensions, US officials have repeatedly warned about Chinese cyber attacks, such as the Salt Typhoon operation that breached American telecommunications systems. On Monday, the Financial Times reported that the Trump administration blocked Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te from stopping in New York City during a planned diplomatic visit to Central America later this year. China has long claimed sovereignty over the island state of Taiwan, which has its own currency, military and government. The US adheres to the One China Policy on paper, which acknowledges Beijing's claim, but takes no position on it.
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Zimbabwe needs G20 support to end debt crisis, says World Bank chief
Zimbabwe's best chance of exiting a 25-year debt default is to engage the Group of 20 nations to help formulate a solution and stop trying to work its way out of the quagmire itself, World Bank President Ajay Banga said. The southern African country owes the World Bank and other creditors a total of $21 billion and has tried numerous unsuccessful strategies to restore its access to global capital markets. Those ranged from attempting to repay its debts using the proceeds of metal sales and recently approaching 10 nations for help to raise $2.6 billion to pay its arrears. 'Trying to figure it out on your own, you'll be doing this for the next five years,' Banga said in an interview in Maputo, Mozambique's capital. 'They need to figure out a way to reach out to the G-20 and say, we raise our hand, we'd like to be part of this process.' Zimbabwe first defaulted on repayments to the World Bank in 2000. Its debts to a host of multilateral institutions and bilateral lenders mounted amid a failed land-reform program and a quarter century of economic turmoil, shutting it out of international debt markets and limiting its ability to borrow even during the global pandemic and a recent devastating drought. The government has asked the African Development Bank to advise on clearing its debt with the institution's outgoing president, Akinwumi Adesina, and former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano asked to negotiate with creditors. It also hired Global Sovereign Advisory, a Paris-based consultancy, to help. The fact that Zimbabwean officials, including President Emmerson Mnangagwa, have been sanctioned by the US has complicated the process. While Belarus, Syria and Eritrea are also in arrears to the World Bank, Zimbabwe's default is by far the longest. South Africa, which currently holds the G-20 presidency, last month said it has been approached by Zimbabwe to try and garner the group's support for a debt workout. Zambia, Ghana and Ethiopia are among nations that have employed the G-20's Common Framework, which was created in 2020 to help poor nations bring together a diverse set of creditors to restructure debts. While they have made progress in reaching deals, the process has been criticized for being too slow. Zimbabwe isn't technically poor enough to be eligible to utilize the framework, yet Sri Lanka — a nation in a similar situation — approached the group in 2023 for help with dealing with its creditors. 'Start talking to the G-20 and the Paris Club' and whoever else has given them money and we can help, Banga said. 'We try and bring an understanding of what write down you need to take. It takes a while.'
The Diplomat
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Diplomat
Is the Russia-India-China Troika Making a Comeback?
In May, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was interested in reviving the Russia-India-China (RIC) troika. Speaking at a security conference on May 29, Russia's top diplomat said 'I would like to confirm our genuine interest in the earliest resumption of the work within the format of troika – Russia, India, China,' noting that the format, since its launch had 'organized meetings more than 20 times at the ministerial level… not only at the level of foreign policy chiefs, but also the heads of other economic, trade, and financial agencies of three countries.' The idea of triliteral cooperation was first floated in the 1990s and was institutionalized in 2002, which Lavrov credited to Yevgeny Primakov, the late chair of the Russian International Affairs Council. Since then, as the Russian foreign minister pointed out, the RIC had convened nearly two dozen times – but not in the recent past. The last meeting of the RIC leaders took place in 2019 on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. Before that, the leaders of three countries held an informal summit on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The RIC troika has been inactive since November 2021, following a virtual meeting of the RIC foreign ministers. Initially, the format was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was further stalled by the military standoff between China and India in Eastern Ladakh in 2020. However, with China-India relations undergoing a relative thaw, Russia now appears to be keen on reviving the trilateral grouping. In this context, last week, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko stated that he was in negotiations with both Beijing and New Delhi on the revival of the RIC troika. 'This topic appears in our negotiations with both of them,' Rudenko said. 'We are interested in making this format work because these three countries are important partners. The absence of this format, in my opinion, looks inappropriate.' This manifests the clear Russian push to revive the troika, which could provide Moscow with a platform to advance and secure its national interests. Besides Russia, China has also shown interest in the RIC's return. Responding to a question regarding Russia's intentions to revive the bloc, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said that 'China is willing to maintain communication with Russia and India to advance trilateral cooperation.' He added, 'The cooperation among China, Russia, and India not only aligns with the respective interests of the three countries, but also contributes to regional and global peace, security, stability, and progress.' In light of Beijing's regional rivalry with New Delhi, Moscow believes that India is being drawn into the West's anti-Chinese strategies. Reviving the troika format would enable Beijing to have more direct contact with New Delhi and potentially allay concerns about India joining the 'China containment' bloc. India, on the other hand, as of now, seems non-committal on the revival of the RIC format. When asked about the group's revival, Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, gave a bland answer: 'This consultative format is a mechanism where the three countries come and discuss global issues and regional issues of interest to them.' He continued: 'As to when this particular RIC format meeting is going to be held, it is something that will be worked out among the three countries in a mutually convenient manner, and we will let you know as and when that happens at an appropriate time when the meeting is to take place.' Indian media sources report that no RIC troika meeting has been agreed upon, and there are currently no discussions about scheduling a meeting in this format. Still, given the slow but steady progress on normalizing relations between China and India in recent months, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's recent visit to Beijing, the revival of the RIC troika is quite plausible. Russia, struggling with sanctions over its war in Ukraine, would go to any length to revive this bloc. China's support would certainly provide a boost to Russian ambitions and interests. Russia's strategic relations with both China and India can play an important role vis-à-vis the format's revival and Moscow will hope to successfully bring both countries to the table. However, the role of the U.S., particularly under President Donald Trump, may be the most significant factor for the revival of the RIC troika. Since his return to the White House, Trump has resumed his strategy of imposing tariffs, which has sparked a trade war, particularly with China. His protectionist ideals do not align with those of India, as ongoing tariff uncertainties could harm New Delhi's economic and political interests. The last meeting among the RIC leaders in Osaka in 2019 took place under a similar context. Back then, India's Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, stated, 'All three leaders have agreed that in an era of economic and global change, it is important to uphold the trend of globalization. Maintaining the liberalization of trade, a free trading system, an open trading system, and a rules-based trading system is essential to counter the tendency toward protectionism.' While the situation and circumstances may not be exactly the same as they were in 2019, Trump's trade strategy remains unchanged, which could lead to the revival of the RIC troika. Together, China, India, and Russia could form a Eurasian power that balances Western dominance. These three countries are already part of organizations like BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which are also seen as efforts to counter Western influence. The RIC troika could certainly contribute to the promotion of a multipolar world with multiple centers of power, potentially undermining Western dominance. But for this to occur, all three countries must discuss their global and regional priorities. Until that happens, the RIC troika will remain in a state of uncertainty.
