近日，二十国集团外长会议在南非约翰内斯堡举行。这是G20外长会首次在非洲国家举办，具有重要标志性意义。

However, it is regrettable that U.S. Secretary of State Rubio was absent from this important meeting.

Coincidentally, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent subsequently stated that he would not attend the upcoming meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Cape Town.

The new U.S. administration has clearly missed two important meetings in a row on purpose.

What is the reason for consecutive absences?

Regarding the reasons for absence, Besant stated unequivocally that "he was fulfilling his duties in Washington," while Rubio bluntly said that "the meeting in South Africa is anti-American," and therefore he would not attend.

Overall, there are three main reasons for the United States' consecutive absences.

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio's public criticism of the South Africa conference.

U.S. unilateralism is at play.

特朗普政府上台后，迅速掀起“退群”狂潮，先后退出《巴黎协定》、世卫组织、联合国人权理事会等多边框架，并要求审查美国参与联合国教科文组织等机构的情况。（另见本号文章Why is Trump so determined to withdraw from international groups?）

Trump, who adheres to the "America First" philosophy, is also highly critical of multilateral mechanisms.

In Trump's view, only international mechanisms that "make money for America" and "consolidate America's international status" are good mechanisms; otherwise, there is no need to participate.

South Africa has adopted "Unity, Equality, and Sustainability" as the thematic agenda for its tenure as the rotating presidency.

However, in Trump's view, the three key themes of the conference are all at odds with his own beliefs: rather than emphasizing "unity," it's better to act alone; the United States has always been superior to other countries, so there is no such thing as "equality"; as for "sustainability," it is merely a derivative of the "hoax" of climate change.

The agenda items of the meeting, such as "Development Priorities for the Global South" and promoting "the Justification and Rationalization of Global Governance," are in direct opposition to Trump's unilateralism and isolationist policies.

From this perspective, it is not difficult to understand why the Trump administration has continuously missed meetings.

Affected by the relationship between the United States and the South.

In his "statement of absence," Rubio accused "South Africa of doing very bad things," reflecting the ongoing tension in U.S.-South Africa relations over a period of time.

Last year, South Africa took the lead in filing a lawsuit against Israel at the International Criminal Court, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant of "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity," alleging that they were involved in genocide in Gaza.

国际刑事法院认定了以色列的罪行，向全球发出了逮捕令。（另见本号文章Justice may be delayed, but it will never be absent!）

As a "close ally" of Netanyahu, Trump was extremely displeased with South Africa's move and, upon taking office, issued sanctions against the International Criminal Court.

On [specific date] this year, South African President Ramaphosa officially signed the new Expropriation Bill, which clearly stipulates that the government can expropriate land under conditions that serve the public interest. The bill also outlines procedures for negotiation and compensation with landowners, in accordance with the country's constitution.

Trump's "first brother" Musk was born in South Africa but holds no affection for the country.

Previously, his Starlink system was unable to enter the South African market due to its failure to meet the requirements of the South African government.

Upon the enactment of the "Expropriation Bill," Musk not only vehemently criticized the South African government for "violating human rights," but also accused the South African authorities of systematically oppressing the white population.

Trump also attacked the bill for containing "anti-white racial discrimination," stating that "confiscating white land" would constitute a "massive violation of human rights."

Subsequently, he signed an executive order stating that the "Expropriation Bill" enacted by South Africa involves "forced land expropriation" and declared that he would "cut off all funding to South Africa."

特朗普在社交媒体上表示，“南非正在没收土地，并且非常恶劣地对待某些阶层的人”。 南非总统拉马福萨回应称，南非政府没有没收任何土地，南非宪法禁止对财产的任意剥夺。南非国际关系与合作部也发表声明称，美方行政令“存在事实性错误”。但特朗普政府毫不理会，依旧我行我素，暗中将南非打上了“反美国家”的标签。**美国连续缺席G20，很可能是通过“缺席外交”向南非施压。****给美俄交易让位。**比起G20会议，特朗普政府显然认为解决俄乌冲突问题、从乌克兰攫取巨额利益更为重要。美俄外长于2月15日通话后，双方高级官员又于2月18日在沙特开展了会谈，由美俄主导的结束俄乌冲突谈判正式拉开序幕。**近期，美国外交的注意力都在促成美俄领导人直接会面和逼迫乌克兰接受交出50%矿产资源的“卖国协议”上。**鲁比奥和贝森特确实很忙，但忙的不是在华盛顿履行职责，而是忙着“盘剥乌克兰”！**多边主义大旗不倒！**气候变化、债务危机、全球南方国家发展等议题需大国达成共识，而美国作为世界上最大的发达国家，却频频置身事外，甚至将缺席会议作为向他国施压的工具。这再次让世人看清了美国的霸权主义和单边主义嘴脸。The consecutive "no-shows" by the U.S. side not only reveal its selfishness and diplomatic short-sightedness, but also demonstrate a substantial decline in its global leadership. 2月20日，南非约翰内斯堡G20外长会会场外景。美国的缺席，不会让世界秩序就此失控，反而会为新兴经济体提供更大的话语空间。若美国未来持续缺席，G20可能加速向“G19+X”模式演变，进一步凸显金砖国家等新兴力量的崛起。Compared to the isolation and absence of the United States, China's will and determination to practice multilateralism are unwavering.

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China continues to expand its economic and trade ties with global partners through mechanisms such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP).

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Despite the Trump administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, China remains steadfast in its commitments in the field of climate change, actively collaborating with countries in the Global South to promote climate finance and technology transfer, thereby aiding developing nations in achieving a green transition.

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Facing the United States' attempts to pressure developing countries into taking sides, China supports the diversification of diplomacy among Global South nations through platforms such as the BRICS cooperation mechanism and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

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In fields such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy, China has deepened cooperation with countries like Brazil and South Africa, assisting them in enhancing their technological autonomy.

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In the field of food security, China has expanded its agricultural investments in Latin America and Africa to mitigate the negative impacts of fluctuations in the global food supply chain.

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In disputed areas such as the South China Sea and the East China Sea, China has promoted the establishment of a rules-based multilateral security architecture through consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and the ASEAN dialogue mechanism, thereby avoiding military conflicts.

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On issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, China has consistently advocated for political solutions and opposed bloc confrontation.

……得道多助，失道寡助。谋求一己私利的单边主义，无论用何种新说辞包装，终究是“新瓶装旧酒”。**在合作共赢的时代洪流中，奉行单边主义注定不得人心！**文中图片源自网络

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