South Africa’s Play to Ease Tensions With Trump: A New Trade Deal

South Africa is preparing a new trade offer to present to President Trump, hoping to appeal to his transactional approach to foreign policy and ease boiling tensions with Washington, a spokesman for South Africa’s president said this week. The spokesman,…

As Musk Consolidates Power, His Mother, Maye, Is in Demand

In the past six months, Maye Musk, the mother of Elon Musk, has been to China, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates, visits that come as foreign leaders are jockeying for influence over the Trump administration. Ms. Musk, 76, has…

China Defends South Africa’s G20 Ambitions as Rubio Snubs Meeting

China’s foreign minister on Thursday defended South Africa’s effort to promote solidarity, equality and sustainability at Group of 20 gatherings this year, even as Secretary of State Marco Rubio boycotted the first high-level meeting in Johannesburg this week because of…

Bessent to Skip G20 Finance Ministers Meeting in South Africa

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will skip a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 nations in Cape Town next week, according to people familiar with his plans, deepening the rift between the United States and…