US to attend but not participate in deliberations at G20 in South Africa

The US will attend only the closing ceremony of this weekend's G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, but will not participate in any deliberations, the US confirmed in a statement late on Thursday.

South Africa will hand over the annual Presidency of the G20 to the US on Sunday, and had indicated that it would do so ceremonially to an empty chair after repeated threats by US President Donald Trump that there would be no representation from the US.

The US announcement followed some tough talk earlier on Thursday, where South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took several swipes at Trump without naming him specifically.

It cannot be that a country's geographical location or income level or army determines who has a voice and who is spoken down to. It basically means that there should be no bullying of one nation by another nation we are all equal, Ramaphosa said to huge applause from the delegates at the G20 Social Summit.

By early evening, Ramaphosa was more conciliatory as he announced after an EU event on the sidelines of the G20 that his government had received a notice from the US.

(It is) a notice which we are still in discussions with them over about a change of mind - about participating in one shape, form or other in the Summit. This comes at a late hour before the Summit begins and therefore, we do need to engage in those types of discussions to see how practical it is and what it finally really means, Ramaphosa said.

In a way, we see this as a positive sign because, as I've often said, boycott politics never work. It's always best to be inside the tent than being outside of the tent, the President added.

Some analysts suggested that Trump, under pressure from some of his own party allies at home, was persuaded to have some representation at the G20 after he asked Ramaphosa earlier in the week to have no declaration at the Summit without the US.

Ramaphosa had also dismissed this suggestion.

We will have a Declaration. The talks are going extremely well. We will not be bullied. We will not agree to be bullied, Ramaphosa said emphatically to reporters after addressing the G20 Social Summit.

I'm confident that we are moving towards a declaration and they are now just dotting the I's and crossing the t's, Ramaphosa said as the G20 Sherpas moved toward concluding their three-day meeting.

Without the US, the whole process of the G20 is moving forward, the President added, but still expressed optimism about US participation.

The United States is a member of the G20, they are an original member of the G20, so they have the right to be here, Ramaphosa said.

Officials of the South African government, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it would be technically impossible for Trump or, as had been planned earlier, vice president J D Vance to attend in time because of the logistical challenges relating to travel and security arrangements.

There were also views that the US wanted to avoid the embarrassment of South Africa handing over the G20 Presidency for the next year to an empty chair.

A diplomatic note circulating in local media on Thursday evening confirms that an eight-member US delegation led by Charge d'Affaires Marc Dillard will participate in the handover ceremony on November 23.

The note requests assistance for accreditation by the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation for the US delegation.