Jayanta Roy ChowdhuryJohannesburg, Nov. 22 -- The empty American chair at the G20 summit has become the proverbial elephant which may well dominate proceedings at the Johannesburg summit of the world's twenty largest economies.
With the United States opting not to send senior officials, Washington has signalled a rare withdrawal from a forum it once dominated, unsettling allies, emboldening rivals, and quietly opening the door for new powers ranging from China to Russia to even India to step forward.
The absence of either US President Donald Trump, who has refused the invitation citing unproven claims that South Africa's white minority have been facing large-scale killings and land grabs, or any other ranking US official, is being seen as...