G7 Summit in Hiroshima to Tackle Russia and China Threats.

G7 Leaders Meet in Hiroshima to Promote Unity and Rule-Based International Order

Significance of the Summit

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) will gather in Hiroshima, Japan, from May 19-21 to promote a rule-based international order in the face of escalating Russian and Chinese aggression. This year’s summit is significant because of the message it is likely to send to Russia and China. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida chose Hiroshima as the G7 venue as a symbolic opportunity to call for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation. The summit is expected to highlight Hiroshima’s history as the site of the world’s deadliest military operation and send a strong message to the rest of the world, particularly Russia, about the dangers of nuclear weapons.

Agenda

The war in Ukraine and the fight against global inflation are set to dominate the agenda at this year’s meeting. The G7 has found a new common goal in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing Chinese aggression. This year, Japan hopes to unite leading democracies to counter Russia and China’s efforts to undermine the existing rules-based order and spread their influence in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. An important focus of this year’s summit is “Outreach to the Global South,” which intends to increase outreach to Latin America, Africa, the rest of Asia, and the Pacific to counter China’s and Russia’s growing influence in these regions.

Leaders in Attendance

The G7 is comprised of the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Canada. President Joe Biden plans to attend the summit, even though he is in the midst of tough debt ceiling talks with congressional leaders. A record number of leaders have been invited to this year’s summit, including Australia, the Republic of Korea, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Comoros (representing the African Union).

Japan’s Global Influence

The meeting is also likely to be a major test for Japan’s global influence. Japan is putting a particular accent on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, both because the summit is hosted in Hiroshima, the prime minister’s hometown, and also because Russia has implied that it might be willing to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the G7 has found a new common goal in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing Chinese aggression.

Conclusion

The G7 summit is a significant event that will promote unity and a rule-based international order. The leaders in attendance will discuss important issues such as the war in Ukraine, global inflation, and outreach to the Global South. Japan hopes to unite leading democracies to counter Russia and China’s efforts to undermine the existing rules-based order and spread their influence in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. This year’s summit is a major test for Japan’s global influence and will send a strong message to the rest of the world, particularly Russia, about the dangers of nuclear weapons.

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