Will minerals giant China sign up to a plan to help South Africa's plan for local mineral processing and generating more wealth?

Analyst says China emphasis on working together on international issues is the opposite of ‘America first’ as espoused by Trump.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met several foreign ministers, including Sergei Lavrov (Russia), Wang Yi (China), Penny Wong (Australia), on the sidelines of the G2O Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Analysts say US boycott could benefit other big powers, such as Russia and China, whose foreign ministers will be attending

China’s Wang Yi tells G20 foreign ministers ‘dialogue is better than confrontation’, hopes for durable resolution that considers concerns of all parties.

Cyril Ramaphosa sounded the alarm about conflicts around the world at a gathering of G20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg. Among those who attended the meeting on Thursday were ministers from Russia and China.

The Trump administration’s tensions with South Africa present an opportunity for Russia and China at the G20 foreign ministers meeting.

China voiced support for peace overtures from the United States toward Russia regarding the war in Ukraine. Speaking at the G20 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives at the opening session of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/)

Foreign ministers from G20 countries will meet in Johannesburg on Thursday, but U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend amid diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the U.S. Diplomats including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are expected to attend the gathering.

China and Russia “cannot be moved away” from one another, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told his counterpart Vladimir Putin Monday, in their first phone call since US President Donald Trump upended American foreign policy with a sweeping pivot toward Moscow as he pushes for peace in Ukraine.