G7 leaders began arriving in Japan on Thursday for a summit in Hiroshima focused on discussing a tightening of sanctions against Russia and evaluating protection measures against “economic coercion” from China.
The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, receives the rulers of the other six most advanced economies in the world (Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy and the United Kingdom) in Hiroshima, a city symbol of nuclear destruction.
At the summit that begins this Friday, the leaders will try to forge a united front against Russia and China and will address other pressing issues, but on which there is no consensus in the group.
The summit also includes the participation of the European Union (EU) and Japan also invited India, Brazil and Indonesia, among others, seeking to get closer to developing countries where China invests heavily.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, arrived in Hiroshima this Thursday and became the second president of his country, after Barack Obama, to visit this city devastated by an atomic bomb dropped by Washington in 1945.
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US President Joe Biden is received by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Russia, central theme of the meeting
The Russian invasion against Ukraine is a priority topic of the summit, at a time when kyiv has suffered from bombing and after months of fierce fighting in Bakhmut, in the east, and in other cities on the front line.
The United States and its allies have sent weapons to Ukraine to shore up its defenses, but kyiv’s announced counteroffensive has yet to materialize.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to address the group via video conference.
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The Group of Seven is coordinating positions to close a joint declaration that includes a new condemnation of Russia for its invasion of the neighboring country, and seeks ways to increase pressure on Moscow, according to diplomatic sources.
One of the hottest topics is how to prevent Russia from evading the sanctions already applied against it. through trade with third countries -especially China-, for which measures are being considered, such as the creation of a specific mechanism to monitor trade of this type.
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty arrive in Hiroshima.
Washington is in favor of imposing an almost total ban on exports to Russia, while the European Union has raised the possibility of prohibiting the sale of dual-use goods to companies from third countries if it is believed that they will end up selling them to Moscow later.
It remains to be seen if it is possible to agree on specific measures or just a dissuasive message towards countries and companies that allow Moscow to mitigate the effect of the sanctions, taking into account that within the G7 there are divergent positions on the subject, starting with Japan, highly dependent on Russian energy imports.
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The G7 will emphasize its willingness to continue supporting kyiv
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the rulers will seek to tighten sanctions against Russia, which according to official figures caused a 1.9% contraction in the Russian economy in the first quarter.
The head of the German government, Olaf Scholz, told the press that the issue is to prevent sanctions from being circumvented.
“I think this issue is going to be resolved very well and in a very pragmatic way,” said the chancellor.
For his part, an EU official reported that a blockade against the export of Russian diamonds will be discussed, a trade that totaled 5,000 million dollars in 2021.
The G7 will also emphasize its willingness to continue supporting Kiev both in the war and in the face of reconstruction by all means. and as long as necessary, during meetings in which the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenski, will also participate electronically.
Nuclear shadow, focus of discussions
Kishida has pointed out that the G7 will send from Hiroshima “a strong message to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, and to proceed in this direction more realistically and with concrete efforts”, in addition to stressing “that threats regarding the use of atomic weapons” by Russia or any other country will not be tolerated in any way.
Before the start of the summit this Friday, Kishida will guide his G7 colleagues through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum, where tribute is paid to the 80,000 people who perished immediately by the nuclear bomb dropped by the US on August 6, 1945 and shows the horrors it inflicted on the victims and the city.
Kishida wants to take advantage of his guests — especially the United Kingdom, France and the United States — commit to transparency about their arsenals and an effort to reduce them.
Expectations are low, at a time of tension with nuclear powers like Russia, North Korea and China.
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Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Chinese talks
The China talks are also expected to focus on efforts to protect the G7 economies. through a diversification of supply chains and markets.
In his disputes with countries like Australia and Canada, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been willing to block or stop trade and levy duties on short notice and without explanation.
Sullivan noted that the rulers plan to condemn this “economic coercion” and work to iron out their differences on how to relate to China.
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Analysts warn that it is not nonsense to think about the possibility of an indefinite presidency for Xi Jinping.
The United States took an aggressive stance by blocking China’s access to the most advanced semiconductors.
But the Europeans, especially Germany and France, want to ensure that these moves do not mean cutting ties with China, one of the world’s biggest markets.
It is expected that the G7 will also pronounce itself in defense of the international order, and that it emphasizes its rejection of “any unilateral attempt to change the ‘status quo by force'”, an allusion to both Russia and China in the face of the increase in tensions in Taiwan and its military movements in Asia-Pacific.
If in line with preparatory documents for the summit, the final declaration will stress the importance of maintaining “peace and stability” in the Taiwan Strait and express “grave concern” over Chinese expansionism in the region.
For its part, China will receive the rulers of five Central Asian countries in Xi’an this Thursday, once in the orbit of Moscow, but now closer to Beijing.
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*With information from AFP and EFE
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