South Africa Presses China to Delay Naval Drills With Russia Ahead of G20 Summit
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa has asked China to postpone joint naval exercises with Russia until after November’s Group of 20 summit, an unusual step by a government that has long defended its military partnerships with both countries.
The request, relayed through diplomatic channels in recent days, underscores Pretoria’s determination to keep the summit free of distractions at a moment of heightened geopolitical tension. South African officials, already under scrutiny for what Western governments see as a tilt toward Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine, are wary of staging large-scale maneuvers with Russian warships just as heads of state arrive in Johannesburg.
Trump’s Potential Return to the Global Stage
The calculus has been complicated by the prospect that President Donald J. Trump may attend the summit, his first appearance at a major multilateral forum since returning to office. Mr. Trump’s open admiration for President Vladimir V. Putin, along with his skepticism of NATO, could inject further friction into an already fraught gathering. For Pretoria, the optics of welcoming both Mr. Trump and Russian vessels to its shores during the same week were judged too combustible.
A History of Naval Diplomacy
South Africa’s ties to Moscow and Beijing in the defense sphere are not new. In February 2023, South African, Russian and Chinese warships conducted joint exercises off the port cities of Durban and Richards Bay, timing that coincided with the one-year anniversary of Russia’s assault on Ukraine. The drills drew rebukes from Washington and Brussels, but Pretoria insisted they were routine and within its sovereign rights.
By quietly asking China to delay the next round of exercises, South African officials are signaling a tactical adjustment, not a change of course. “The message is not abandonment of partnerships,” said one senior South African diplomat, speaking anonymously to describe internal deliberations. “It is about ensuring the G20 remains the focus, not naval displays.”
Keeping the Spotlight on the Summit
The G20 in Johannesburg is expected to be among the most contentious in years. European leaders are preparing to highlight Russia’s isolation over the war in Ukraine, while Moscow will use the occasion to court partners across the Global South.
For South Africa, which has cast itself as a bridge between blocs, avoiding the spectacle of Russian and Chinese warships during the summit is part of that balancing act. Whether the delay will satisfy Western critics—or irritate Moscow—remains to be seen.
