South Africa's G20 presidency to remain strong despite Trump's absence: experts

Following the announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend the G20 Leaders' Meeting in South Africa, experts said his absence will not affect the role or effectiveness of South Africa's G20 presidency.

JOHANNESBURG, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Following the announcement that U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend the G20 Leaders' Meeting in South Africa, experts said his absence will not affect the role or effectiveness of South Africa's G20 presidency.

"The decision doesn't undermine the credibility of the meeting. Despite Trump's absence, it will still be a high-profile engagement. South Africa and other African countries have good relations with the rest of the global leaders who will be in attendance," said Sanet Solomons, a political analyst and lecturer at the University of South Africa.

Trump announced last week that he would skip the G20 Leaders' Meeting in Johannesburg this November, with Vice President JD Vance set to represent the United States instead.

South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola previously said invitations had been extended to all G20 members and their heads of state for the summit.

In a phone interview with Xinhua, Solomons said Vance's attendance was meant to ensure U.S. representation at the summit. "It is clear the United States is not as influential as it once was. In the past, Washington's absence from such an event might have prompted other global leaders to stay away as well. That is no longer the case," she said.

The United States is scheduled to assume the G20 presidency from South Africa on Dec. 1.

Trump's absence was announced after he criticized South Africa over what he has described as "anti-white" policies. His administration imposed a 30 percent import tariff on South African goods in August and signed an executive order allowing white Afrikaners to claim refugee status in the United States.

The view that the effectiveness of the G20 Leaders' Meeting would not be diminished by Trump's absence was echoed by other experts.

"Obviously, in this particular session, when the United States is not the G20 president, Trump cannot redefine the agenda of the G20. He doesn't want to be seen fraternizing with South Africa on any level, including by coming here," independent analyst Sandile Swana told Xinhua by phone.

Swana said South Africa has the support of the international community. "JD Vance is coming to South Africa to take part in the handover of the presidency. That is basically all that is happening," he said.

The G20 Leaders' Meeting is scheduled for Nov. 22-23 in Johannesburg, where world leaders will discuss issues such as disaster resilience, climate finance, and debt sustainability for lower- and middle-income nations, among other priorities. Held annually, the summit addresses some of the world's most pressing challenges, with its final communiques often serving as guidance on global policy.■