SA delays Russia-China naval drills ahead of G-20 summit

Key topics:SA seeks to delay naval drills with Russia, China ahead of G-20 summitDefence cites security and logistics for postponement requestPast joint drills drew Western criticism amid Ukraine war backdrop.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here..By Paul Vecchiatto.South Africa’s defence 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 G-20 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. .Read more:.US again skips SA’s G-20 hosting, this time boycotting finance minister meeting.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 criticized 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 L.P.

SA delays Russia-China naval drills ahead of G-20 summit

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