Overview
- President Donald Trump ordered a full U.S. boycott of the Nov. 22–23 G20 in Johannesburg, citing disputed claims of violence against white Afrikaners, and said no American officials will attend.
- President Cyril Ramaphosa said the meeting will proceed and called the U.S. absence “their loss,” as his ministers asserted South Africa’s preparedness and outlined security plans for the Nasrec venue.
- China confirmed President Xi Jinping will not attend and that Premier Li Qiang will lead its delegation, while Argentina said President Javier Milei will send Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno instead.
- African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and UN Secretary‑General António Guterres confirmed they will attend, with the AU calling the U.S. boycott unfortunate and voicing support for South Africa’s G20 presidency.
- With the U.S. out and other delegations adjusted — including Russia sending senior official Maxim Oreshkin — diplomats note uncertainty over adopting a standard Leaders’ Declaration, with sherpas working to finalize texts.