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 South Africa over policies the Trump administration believes are anti-American. The decision to forgo such a major economic gathering is highly unusual for a Treasury secretary, particularly one who was confirmed to his post three weeks ago. It follows a boycott of a similar meeting of foreign ministers this week in Johannesburg by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Mr. Rubio said he was skipping the meetings because he did not want to “waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.” Mr. Trump has indicated that he sees little value in multilateral meetings like the Group of 20 and prefers to hold bilateral negotiations with other nations. The theme for the meetings this year is “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” which the Trump administration considers at odds with its views on climate change and diversity policies.
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