By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@GettyImages.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be attending the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on 22 and 23 November 2025.
A move seen as a blow to South Africa that’s already facing a boycott from US President Donald Trump.
The United States, which holds the G20 presidency next year, is supposed to take over as chair at this summit, but its absence is expected to cause setbacks.
However Minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni during a media briefing on Cabinet outcomes on Thursday, said that government remains unfazed by the United States’ indications that it will boycott next weekend’s final event in South Africa, despite taking over the presidency next year.
Ntshavheni said the US’s absence could facilitate consensus being reached among other nations to produce a declaration.
Relations between the U.S. and its biggest trading partner in Africa are at their lowest since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The summit in South Africa will be the first held on the continent of Africa. Representatives of the world’s largest economies will participate, but without the leaders of the United States, China, and Russia — three key players in the group.
The statement didn’t explain why Xi, who attended the event last year, will be absent this time.
This decision came as a surprise to the international community, as the Chinese leader had attended a similar summit the previous year and actively used such platforms to strengthen Beijing’s influence on the global stage.
Xi visited South Africa in 2023 for the BRICS summit, and hosted African leaders in Beijing last year.
According to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the country will be represented at the meeting by Premier Li Qiang.
Ntshavheni emphasised South Africa’s readiness for the summit and expressed confidence in the country’s ability to host the gathering.
Cabinet is confident of the country’s readiness to host the first summit on the African continent,” she said. “Government is also ready to host in five days’ time the G20 Social Summit from the 18th to the 20th of November.
She added that Cabinet was also satisfied that the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting were able to reach consensus.
The fourth sherpa meeting, which will be working on a declaration and the social summit next week, are the last G20 events before the leaders’ summit.
With 130 meetings having been held in provinces across the country, South Africa is now readying to host world leaders, not only from G20 nations.
According to the minister, there is comprehensive safety and security for the summit is being coordinated by security structures.
“The President will undertake a walkabout at the Nasrec precinct tomorrow on Friday, November 14. Watch out for the announcement,” Ntshavheni said.
Argentina’s President Javier Milei will also send Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno in his place to the G20 Leaders.
G20 was formed in 1999 to bring rich and developing countries together to address issues affecting the global economy and international development. The U.S., China, Russia, India, Japan, France, Germany, the U.K. and the European Union are all members.