South Africa says silence from US on bid for talks China pledges support

JOHANNESBURG - South Africas foreign minister Ronald Lamola said on Monday that the United States had not responded to attempts to discuss President Donald Trumps executive order cutting off aid but that China had pledged support.

Trump cut U.S. financial assistance to the country this month, citing disapproval of its land reform policy and genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Despite all our attempts, through our mission in Washington to formally engage and communicate... we are awaiting feedback and a response. Were hopeful that they will find a moment to ... have the discussion with us, Lamola told Reuters in an interview in the main commercial city of Johannesburg.

Lamola said South Africa was setting up bilateral meetings to shore up support with a number of countries, including China.

(China said) that they are there in solidarity with us, and they stand ready to pledge support in terms of whatever trade relations and challenges that they can, the minister said.

South Africa will host the G20 meeting of foreign ministers later this week in Johannesburg, which Rubio is not attending after he expressed disapproval of South Africas G20 theme Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.

The agenda will stand, Lamola said of U.S. objections, adding that all G20 nations had previously agreed on it.

We will not be defocused by this issue (with) ... the U.S.

NON-NEGOTIABLE

South Africa is not hugely dependent on U.S. aid, but some fear that the countrys preferential trade status under the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) could be next.

The country projects itself as non-aligned in geopolitical conflicts, and has sought not to tie its interests too closely to those of the main superpower rivals - the United States, European Union, China and Russia - vying for influence on the continent.