The G7 summit has become a platform, led by the US, to threaten and impose severe sanctions on the West’s main adversaries, namely Russia and China. Evidently, the world has become divided and polarised, with two camps, each with a different ideology and strategy. The sooner the West accepts the new global order, the better for world peace.
It’s that time of the year again when Heads of State of the world’s seven largest economies, i.e., the G7 group of countries, gathered for their ceremony and annual photo op of beaming faces. The group consists of US, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, and Italy, with the E.U. being a guest member. The G7 no longer includes China and India, the former being the second-largest economy in the world.
The G7’s primary objective was to address global economic difficulties, aid developing nations in paying down their debt, and provide an impetus for global economic growth. In reality, however, over time, the summit has become a platform for the G7 nations, led by the United States, to threaten and impose severe sanctions on the West’s main adversaries, namely Russia, China, and Iran. It is mainly a result of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine and the formation of opposing parties to the conflict.
At this year’s summit, held in Japan on May 19-21, 2023, there was no talk of economic cooperation but rather unilaterally taken decisions by the US and its allies to impose sanctions on Russia and use threatening statements against China.
In a joint statement, the G7 leaders emphasized they did not want to harm China and were seeking “constructive and stable relations” with Beijing, “recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China.”
“We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine.” (CNBC report)
Why? Simply because the West sees its dominance erode globally and countries like China and India are economic powerhouses and do not take US diktat anymore.
However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday slammed the G7 for indulging in their “own greatness” with an agenda that aimed to “deter” Russia and China.
Meanwhile China’s Foreign Ministry accused G7 leaders of “hindering international peace” and said the group needed to “reflect on its behavior and change course.” (CNN)
Slowly but surely, more developing countries are relying less on the West, with the realization that the future belongs to Asia, with China leading the way. The creation of BRICS, initiated by China, is a step in the right direction and was primarily formed to conduct business in local currency, as opposed to the US dollar. Such initiatives have further alarmed the Western bloc.
Unfortunately, the Western nations’ unrelenting campaign of China vilification and their futile attempts to isolate Russia and Iran with unjust sanctions do not appear to have changed with the G7 summit.
Sadly, it was evident during the summit that the world has become divided and polarised, with two camps, each with a different ideology and strategy. The sooner the West accepts the new global order, the better for world peace.
