SA seeks delay of Russia-China war games during G20

South Africa’s defense department requested a postponement of joint exercises with the Russian and Chinese navies scheduled for November in the North Asian nation.

The planned drills would coincide with South Africa’s hosting of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, and the military wants to ensure that they “do not impact on the logistical, security and other arrangements” for that meeting, the department said in a statement. China is the host of this year’s exercises.

“The Department of Defence is engaging its counterparts in the People’s Republic of China on a postponement of the exercise to a mutually suitable date,” it said.

South Africa has participated in two previous naval drills with China and Russia, according to the department. The three countries form part of the five-nation Brics bloc that also includes Brazil and India. The last exercise in 2023 coincided with the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and drew criticism from US Senator Lindsey Graham and Ukraine’s ambassador to Pretoria.

The G-20 summit has been scheduled for Nov. 22-23. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping, along with his Brazilian and Indian counterparts. US President Donald Trump has yet to confirm he’ll attend, having previously criticised South Africa’s foreign and domestic policies.

South Africa has also conducted exercises with countries including Brazil, France, Germany and the US in recent years, according to the defense department statement.

© 2025 Bloomberg

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