Hiroshima [Japan], May 19: Observers are waiting for results from the G7 Summit taking place from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima City (Japan) in the context of the complicated world situation.
Yesterday (May 18), US President Joe Biden arrived in Japan to prepare for the G7 Summit. Right before the summit, Mr. Biden held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Through the meeting, the two sides continued to make strong commitments to coordinate in responding to world issues such as the war in Ukraine and challenges in the Indo-Pacific. These are also topics expected to be on the agenda of this G7 Summit.
Competition for influence
On the same day, May 18, replying to Thanh Nien , Prof. Yoichiro Sato (an international relations expert, Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University, Japan; Senior scholar of the Yusof Ishak Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore) pointed out: "This year's conference has many guests from the region that has recently been called the "southern hemisphere" (often used to refer to developing countries and emerging countries in Central-South America, Africa, South Asia, or Southeast Asia)".
This comes from the general context of the world, as he analyzes: "China and Russia are trying to enlist other countries in the BRICS (the group includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), to form a diplomatic counterweight to the growing alliance between NATO members and the "Quad" (US - Japan - Australia - India). The African bloc and the Pacific island bloc have many representatives in the UN. China's pursuit of natural resources and military access to these two areas has raised suspicions in Japan and its allies. Tokyo is aiming to counter Beijing's aid diplomacy. Meanwhile, India has demonstrated an autonomous foreign policy, as is typical in its policy towards Russia at a time when the West imposed sanctions against Moscow.
Mounting Elements
Also responding to Thanh Nien, Dr. Timothy R.Heath (senior research expert, RAND Organization, USA) forecast: "At this summit, G7 may only reach modest consensus regarding related issues. China, due to disagreements over the extent to which countries are willing to take risks in dealing with China, could issue a joint statement criticizing "economic coercion" that would probably not mention China. Country". "Perhaps, more important at this G7 summit will be agreements on increased security," Dr. Heath added.
Meanwhile, Professor Stephen Robert Nagy (International Christian University - Japan, scholar of the Institute of International Affairs of Japan) assessed: "I believe that the G7 leaders in Hiroshima will come up with clearly declare peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and urge mainland China to act responsibly in its commitment to Taiwan and the region. China on climate change, dealing with proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, especially the North Korea issue, as well as other potential areas of cooperation such as economic policy coordination to deal with recession related to the global economic crisis, post- Covid-19 pandemic ".
According to Mr. Nagy, the G7 group has been in relative decline over the years. "However, we have seen the group become much more cohesive in the wake of Russia's military campaign against Ukraine, and the impact of US policy under President Joe Biden. These developments have demonstrated. demonstrate the group's interests in coordinating economic, financial and diplomatic sanctions against Russia", Professor Nagy analyzed and also pointed out the factors to unite the G7.
Accordingly: "The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China's influence through the southern hemisphere have also fluctuated. We see more and more emerging countries questioning BRI investment, finding seek more transparency and a rules-based approach to agreements in this initiative that creates challenges to targeting Chinese influence in the "southern hemisphere" through the BRI."
According to GS Nagy, the influence of both the G7 and China in the southern hemisphere is relatively waning, as either group or both initiatives do not provide enough of what the southern hemisphere directly needs. Meanwhile, Moscow and Beijing are growing closer together. The EU, US, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand understand that the Ukraine conflict has ramifications for the international order.
"The United States under President Biden has demonstrated its ability to lead the West, both as a security partner and as a diplomatic leader, in bringing together many countries to meet the serious challenges facing the United States. international order, Europe realizes that it has no security tools to deal with Moscow, so it needs to work closely with the US. In addition, the US has resilience, flexibility and economic dynamism, Therefore, the EU cooperates more closely with the US", Professor Nagy analyzed.
In the Indo-Pacific region, he said that the linking factor between the G7 and some partners is the concern about risks. "In terms of diplomatic coordination, Japan and South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are also working together on what the US has raised as the possibility of conflict in the Indo-Pacific region," he said. around Taiwan, the militarized archipelago in the South China Sea, or the potential for conflict in the East China Sea and the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands".
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper