Global Courant 2023-05-18 14:58:41
HIROSHIMA, Japan –
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has landed in Hiroshima, Japan for the G7 leaders’ summit, where he is expected to push for greater cooperation on global and economic security to guard against geopolitical instability and the threat of climate change.
However, all eyes will be on how the G7 countries choose to specifically address the threat from China.
Leaders of G7 countries – Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Japan – meet annually to work together towards common goals. This year’s summit will focus on seven key agenda items, including geopolitical and global security issues, economic resilience and climate change, and energy.
Ahead of the summit, Trudeau concluded his first official visit to South Korea on Thursday, where the two countries reached agreements on the supply chain of critical minerals – used for electric vehicles – and youth mobility.
Canada hopes to expand its alliances beyond its traditional Western partners by seeking closer relations with South Korea and Japan. The Liberal government’s Indo-Pacific strategy provides a roadmap for strengthening military and economic ties in the region to counter Beijing’s influence.
Seoul and Tokyo have also been working to restore relations as they deepen triple security cooperation with Washington in response to growing regional threats from North Korea and China.
The G7 meeting comes amid heightened tensions with China in the region and an ongoing war in Ukraine, both of which are expected to be the focus of the summit.
Canada’s side is expected to seek the cooperation of G7 members in providing continued support to Ukraine and in addressing climate change.
In a statement made by Trudeau to the University of Toronto’s G7 research group ahead of the summit, the prime minister linked tackling climate change to increased security.
“The clean economy offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only keep 1.5 degrees Celsius warming within reach and avert the worst impacts of climate change, but also create and secure good middle-class jobs for our people and grow our economies Trudeau wrote.
“If we reduce emissions, we can drive economic growth and build new strong, reliable supply chains that reduce our dependence on raw materials and components from countries like China and Russia. This is economic policy, it’s climate policy, and it’s security policy.”
Trudeau also spoke about tensions with China at a joint press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday, noting that both countries intend to be cautious in their approach to China.
“We recognize — both of us — that China is an important economic partner not just in the region but around the world,” Trudeau said.
“But we need to be clear about where we’re working with China,” Trudeau added, noting that Canada co-hosted a UN summit on biodiversity with the country in Montreal last year.
“We need to know where to compete with China on economic grounds and where to challenge China on human rights and other issues,” he said.
“It’s something we’ll both continue to do in ways that make sense for our own countries and our own situations.”
South Korea has also been invited to attend the G7 leaders’ summit.
Last week, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland met other G7 finance ministers and discussed how to increase cooperation between like-minded countries.
They aim to “differentiate our economies to make our supply chains more resilient and create good jobs for people in Canada and around the world,” she said at a news conference Friday.
“In particular (by) working together to respond to economic coercion by authoritarian regimes.”
But the joint statement by finance ministers and central bankers made no specific mention of China or “economic coercion” in pursuit of political goals, such as punishing companies of countries whose governments take actions that anger another country.
The summit is also expected to give more voice and attention to the Global South – a term mainly describing developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Japan has invited countries ranging from the South American superpower Brazil to the tiny Cook Islands in the South Pacific.
By expanding the conversation beyond the world’s wealthiest industrialized nations, analysts hope the group hopes to strengthen political and economic ties while bolstering support for efforts to isolate Russia and stand up to China’s assertiveness across the globe. world.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published May 18, 2023 with files from The Associated Press
