China and Russia “cannot be moved away” from one another, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told his counterpart Vladimir Putin Monday, in their first phone call since US President Donald Trump upended American foreign policy with a sweeping pivot toward Moscow as he pushes for peace in Ukraine.

Chinese President Xi Jinping reaffirmed his relationship with Vladimir Putin on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signaling that Moscow’s detente with Washington wouldn’t deter ties.

China’s President Xi Jinping had a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Monday and said he was pleased with Moscow’s efforts to hold a summit with the U.S. toward ending the war in Ukraine,

Finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of 20 developed and developing nations gathered in South Africa on Wednesday for a two-day meeting marked by the absence of U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and several other high-profile figures.

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - A number of finance ministers skipped a gathering of the Group of 20 top economies in South Africa on Wednesday, and other top officials curtailed trips to a meeting marred by disputes over the main issues of climate, debt and inequality.