[By Guancha Observer Network, Shao Yun] According to Bloomberg News, US Secretary of State Rubio said on the 20th that due to the "consistent inconsistency" of the two countries' policies, US President Trump will "resist" the G20 Leaders Summit planned to be held in South Africa in November this year.
"We have chosen not to participate in this year's G20 meeting hosted by South Africa, whether at the level of foreign ministers or presidents. Obviously, they have repeatedly voted against US interests at the global stage and in various international organizations," Rubio said while attending a hearing of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The report said that Rubio mentioned South Africa's lawsuit filed at the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. Israel is an important ally of the United States in the Middle East. Rubio criticized South Africa's stance on the Palestinian-Israeli issue as "not only unbalanced but completely biased towards one side," and hinted that South Africa might be influenced by so-called external forces such as Iran.
On May 20, 2025, Rubio attended a hearing of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington D.C., US. US Department of State video screenshot.
Since Trump took office earlier this year, affected by multiple factors, the relationship between the United States and South Africa has rapidly deteriorated. Apart from its stance on the Gaza issue, the Trump administration also accused South Africa's recently promulgated Land Expropriation Act of being "anti-American" and discriminatory against whites. In response, Trump signed an executive order in February, announcing that the United States would stop providing any assistance to South Africa and promised to provide refugee protection for South African whites who were subjected to "racial discrimination."
Rubio used this as an excuse to refuse to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa in February, and expelled South African Ambassador to the United States Ebrahim Rasool (Ebrahim Rasool) in March. US Treasury Secretary Besant also missed the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa in February.
Rubio accused Rasool of being a "racist politician" who "hates the United States and the US President." He also criticized South Africa for using the G20 meeting to promote "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) policies and focusing on climate change issues, both of which are actively excluded by the Trump administration from US policy.
According to a May 15 report by The Washington Post, citing two anonymous sources, the US National Security Council has ordered all departments and agencies of the government to refrain from participating in the preparation work for South Africa's G20 summit. A White House official claimed that unless the situation of "genocide" against white citizens in South Africa is properly handled, Trump will not attend the summit at that time.
The South African side denied the accusations made by the Trump administration. Last Monday (May 12), the first batch of white "refugees" entered the United States. On the same day, South African President Ramaphosa stated that he had recently communicated with Trump, clearly emphasizing that the current land reform policy implemented by the South African government is essentially aimed at correcting historical errors left by colonialism and apartheid. He also pointed out that some groups, for their own interests, deliberately fed false information to the US government, portraying South African whites as "victims."
In response to Rubio's latest remarks on the 20th, the US White House did not immediately respond to requests for comments. However, on the 16th, when asked about the G20 summit hosted by South Africa, Trump remained noncommittal. "South Africa has been out of control for a long time," Trump said when asked if he would attend in November. "I'm really not sure."
Spokesperson for Ramaphosa responded on the 19th, saying that the United States has always "participated in all activities related to the G20," and there has been no formal communication regarding Trump's participation so far, but the invitation for South Africa's participation remains open. "There is still a long time from now until November, and many things can happen," the spokesperson said.
Ramaphosa began a working visit to the United States on the 19th and plans to meet with Trump at the White House on the 21st, with attention focused on whether the two sides can use this opportunity to "break the ice." South Africa currently faces a 30% "reciprocal tariff" imposed by the United States. According to sources cited by Bloomberg on the 20th, the South African government plans to propose allowing Elon Musk's "Starlink" satellite service under SpaceX to operate in South Africa, in order to ease tensions with Trump.
This article is an exclusive article by the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506705071426503207/
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