(MENAFN) China has announced that President Xi Jinping will not attend the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, with Premier Li Qiang attending in his place, according to the Foreign Ministry in Beijing.

The summit is scheduled for November 22-23 in Johannesburg. South Africa, which assumed the G20 rotating presidency in December 2024, is the first African nation to lead the forum. President Cyril Ramaphosa has indicated that the country’s chairmanship will prioritize advancing the development goals of Africa and the Global South.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing that Premier Li will attend at South Africa’s invitation, emphasizing that Beijing supports Pretoria’s leadership and is prepared to collaborate with all participants to promote multilateralism and an open global economy. Lin also highlighted the “historic significance” of the summit being hosted on the African continent for the first time.

The G20 brings together 19 countries along with the European Union and the African Union. Reports noted that the United States, which will take over the chairmanship next, will not send any officials to Johannesburg, having previously accused South Africa of pursuing an “anti-American” agenda. Ramaphosa dismissed the boycott, calling it “their loss.”

Speculation had circulated that the summit could facilitate a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the Kremlin confirmed last month that Putin will not attend in person, sending presidential aide Maksim Oreshkin to lead the Russian delegation. Moscow described South Africa’s presidency as a milestone for the continent and a positive step toward strengthening multilateral cooperation.

MENAFN15112025000045017281ID1110348943