With Washington Absent, China Seizes the Stage at G20 in Johannesburg

China's Prime Minister Li Qiang (C) attends a G20 Leaders' Summit plenary session at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on November 22, 2025. (Photo by Leon Neal / POOL / AFP)

Chinese Premier Li Qiang was very busy at this weekend’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, where he seemed at ease that Donald Trump and the U.S. delegation stayed home, for the most part.

There’s no doubt that had Trump been there, the vibe of the entire gathering would have been totally different. But he wasn’t there, nor was VP JD Vance or even Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which gave the Chinese a clear path to exert much more influence on the discussions and the final communiqué.

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by Eric Olander

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