Can ‘reliable friend’ China fill the gap as US pressures allies to snub South Africa?

On Thursday, Pretoria said that Ramaphosa’s invitation – issued personally by French President Emmanuel Macron at last year’s Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg – had been withdrawn because the organisers did not want a no-show from the United States. Presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told the SABC, the national broadcaster, that Pretoria had been informed that the “Americans threatened to boycott the G7 if South Africa was invited”. Despite the snub, Magwenya maintained that Pretoria’s relationship with France remained unaffected. Ramaphosa also downplayed the reports. When asked about the issue on Thursday, he told reporters: “The invitation to the G7…