China came out in support of U.S. President Donald Trump's bid to strike a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, at a G20 meeting in South Africa on Thursday, while U.S. allies rallied around Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Analyst says China emphasis on working together on international issues is the opposite of ‘America first’ as espoused by Trump.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met several foreign ministers, including Sergei Lavrov (Russia), Wang Yi (China), Penny Wong (Australia), on the sidelines of the G2O Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg on Thursday.

The absence of Secretary of State Marco Rubio hung over the year’s first high-level meeting of the world’s largest economies, with diplomats fretting over turbulent times.

China’s Wang Yi tells G20 foreign ministers ‘dialogue is better than confrontation’, hopes for durable resolution that considers concerns of all parties.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed Chinas commitment to fostering peace in Ukraine during a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in South Africa on Thursday. He expressed support for all initiatives that contribute

Cyril Ramaphosa sounded the alarm about conflicts around the world at a gathering of G20 foreign ministers in Johannesburg. Among those who attended the meeting on Thursday were ministers from Russia and China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrives at the opening session of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/)

The Trump administration’s tensions with South Africa present an opportunity for Russia and China at the G20 foreign ministers meeting.

A “window for peace is opening” in Ukraine, China’s top diplomat told a meeting of G20 foreign ministers on Thursday, as the Trump administration ramps up its push to end the war in close coordination with Russia.

Finance ministers from many of the G20's biggest economies - the U.S., China, Japan, India and Canada - canceled their attendance at the event