South Africa asks China to postpone naval exercises that coincide with possible Trump trip for G20

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CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa's Department of Defense said Thursday it has asked China to postpone naval exercises that would have brought Chinese and Russian warships to South African waters around the time the country hosts a Group of 20 summit.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been invited to attend the summit in Johannesburg on Nov. 22 and Nov. 23, although it's unclear if he will attend following his criticism of South Africa as a country he has “a lot of problems with.”

South Africa holds joint naval exercises with China and Russia — its partners in the BRICS bloc — every two years and the exercises scheduled for late November were part of that agreement. China is the lead nation of this year's exercises to be held in South African waters.

The Department of Defense said in a statement its request to China to postpone the naval exercises was to ensure they "do not impact on the logistical, security and other arrangements associated with South Africa’s G20 Presidency.”

There was no indication if China had agreed to the request.

China's President Xi Jinping is due to attend the G20 summit alongside leaders from France, Germany, the U.K. and others. Russian President Vladimir Putin likely won't attend because of an International Criminal Court warrant for his arrest in connection with the war in Ukraine that South Africa would be expected to execute because it is a signatory to the court's statutes.

China showcased its military might in a huge parade in Beijing on Wednesday marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Putin attended that parade alongside Xi.

South Africa's previous naval exercises with China and Russia have strained its relations with Western nations, including the U.S. It hosted Chinese and Russian warships in early 2023.

If Trump attends the G20, it would put him at the same summit as Chinese leader Xi.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said after a tense meeting with Trump at the White House in May that the U.S. president would attend the G20 summit. But Trump said in July that he was considering skipping it, accusing South Africa's Black-led government of adopting anti-white policies at home and an anti-American foreign policy stance.

“I think maybe I’ll send somebody else because I’ve had a lot of problems with South Africa. They have some very bad policies,” Trump said.

South Africa has denied Trump's characterization of it as anti-white and anti-American. It will hand the rotating presidency of the G20 to the U.S. at the end of this year.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa