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The G7 meeting, which will begin this Friday and run until May 21, will have the war in Ukraine and China’s role in the Pacific as central issues on the agenda. The meeting will take place in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, some of the leaders are already there. As special guests will be the Brazilian president, Luis Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva, and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi.
The meeting of the seven richest nations in the world is about to begin. The chosen city is Hiroshima in Japan. A place full of symbolism for the nuclear attack on August 6, 1945 ordered by the former president of the United States, Harry Truman. Currently, with the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons will be precisely one of the central issues. Although the event will begin this Friday, some of the leaders of the group’s member countries have already arrived in Japan.
The president of United States, Joe Bidenmet this Thursday with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, with the aim of closer cooperation in the face of a rising China and an unpredictable Russia, which they see as a threat to the post-war order.
The other five G7 member countries – Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Canada – have also raised concerns about what they see as China’s economically coercive policies and its rapid accumulation of sensitive technology, as well as the Kremlin’s repeated warnings about the use of nuclear weapons.
A parallel encounter
China It is currently the second largest economy in the world behind the United States, but he does not belong to the Group of Seven. In parallel to the meeting between Biden and Kishida, hehe heads of state of Central Asia met in the Chinese city of Xian to speak face to face with the leader of said country, Xi Jinping. A visit that he was looking for seal their promises of “lasting” friendship and pave the way for a summit that is expected to result in a regional pact with Beijing.
The bilateral talks set the stage for a group meeting on Friday, the first in-person meeting of the six leaders, where Xi He will deliver an “important” speech and a “key” political document will be signed, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
The war in Ukraine as the central axis of the G7
The G7 foreign ministers have pledged to intensify their sanctions against Russia. In previous days, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that the G7 is ready to “support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
In a joint statement adopted this Thursday, at the end of the Foreign Affairs meeting, the group condemned “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a serious violation of international law” and urged the Kremlin to withdraw its troops from the country’s territory. neighbor.
Thus, one of the main objectives of the G7 will be the adoption of a new set of sanctions against Russia, especially on imports of oil and diamonds. Some officials of the group have recognized that the The objective of retaliation against Moscow would be to reduce the Russian diamond trade in the immediate term.
But sanctioning precious metals is not an easy economic decision for the G7, particularly for members that also belong to the European Union.
While some EU bloc states have called for sanctions, Belgium – home to the world’s largest diamond trading center in Antwerp – has rejected the restrictions. The Antwerp World Diamond Center has said the sanctions would take around 30% of its business and benefit rival malls, adding that customers should be able to decide for themselves whether they want Russian gems.
So to the nations of the G7 They worry that a reduction in the diamond trade could cause other hubs for the precious materials, such as the United Arab Emirates and India, to take the lead in the lucrative business.
Asia, in the focus of the G7
Japan, as host of the G7, has raised alarm bells in China, which is gravely concerned by recent signs of Beijing-related “negative” action at the summit. The Asian giant urged Japan not to turn the meeting into a “political show” against Chinareported the embassy of the country in Japanese territory this Thursday.
“The Japanese side should push for a balanced understanding of China-related issues at the summit to avoid further obstacles and shocks in Sino-Japanese relations,” Yang Yu, acting charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, said in a statement. .
The growing tension in Taiwan and in the Pacific sea for joint US-Philippines military exercises have put China’s role in the region on the agenda. In this Thursday’s meeting between Biden and Kishida, Beijing’s “expansionist mood” was especially discussed. The Japanese prime minister declared that he will ensure “maintaining the already established international order,” a nod to the US military hegemony in the world and Washington’s position on regional issues such as North Korea’s nuclear threat.
“We vehemently oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion. There is no legal basis for China’s expansionist maritime claims in the South China Sea and we oppose China’s militarization activities in the region,” the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement.
With Reuters, AP and local media
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