news agency
The G7 will put pressure on Russia and assess the risk of “economic coercion” from China

The G7 will put pressure on Russia and assess the risk of “economic coercion” from China

The leaders of the G7 began to arrive this Thursday at Japan for a summit in Hiroshima focused on discussing a tightening of sanctions against Russia and evaluate protection measures against “economic coercion” of China.

The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishidareceives the rulers of the other six most advanced economies in the world (Germany, Canada, the United States, France, Italy and the United Kingdom) in hiroshimaa city symbol of nuclear destruction.

At the summit that begins Friday, the leaders will try to forge a united front against Russia and China and they will address other urgent issues, but in 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 Indonesiaamong others, seeking to get closer to developing countries where China makes large investments.

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.

The anti russian invasion Ukraine It is a priority issue for 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.

“We uphold shared values ​​including supporting the people of Ukraine defending their territorial sovereignty and fighting for Russia to be held accountable for its brutal aggression,” Biden said when meeting with Kishida.

The United States and its allies have sent weapons to Ukraine to shore up their defences, but kyiv’s announced counteroffensive has yet to materialize.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to address the group via video conference.

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 Schölz, He told the press that the issue is to prevent the 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.

Biden arrives in the midst of a dispute over the US debt ceiling, which if not resolved before June would generate an unprecedented moratorium on sovereign debt.

These internal problems hampered Biden’s efforts to launch a diplomatic campaign in Asia and the Pacific, and the president was forced to cancel two legs of his tour, in Papua New Guinea and Australia.

nuclear shadow

Putin’s repeated threats to use nuclear weapons have been condemned by the G7 and dismissed by some analysts, who believe they are aimed at undermining international support for Ukraine.

The leaders’ visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park on Friday could highlight this threat, as the site is a reminder of the nuclear bomb dropped on the city in 1945 that killed nearly 140,000.

Kishida wants to get his guests — especially the United Kingdom, France and the United States — to 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.

“Economic coercion”

The China talks are expected to focus on efforts to protect the G7 economies through diversifying 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 engage with China.

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.

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.

Source: AFP

Source: Gestion

You may also like

Hot News

TRENDING NEWS

Subscribe

follow us

Immediate Access Pro