According to observer website news, on June 26, local time, the G7 summit was held in Elmau, Bavaria, Germany. Basically consistent with outside speculation, this summit has two major themes, one is the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the other is China-related content. Based on the information disclosed by relevant domestic and foreign media, it can be seen that although this G7 summit lacks new ideas, it also releases There are many signals worthy of attention.
As early as the opening of the meeting, US President Biden couldn't wait to announce on social media that the G7 would impose further sanctions on Russia, including banning the import of Russian gold, seeking alternative Russian energy solutions, and increasing pressure on Russia.
Some analysts pointed out that the G7 wanted to use sanctions against Russia to convey to the world that they are more united than before. However, given that the energy lifeline of Europe is still in the hands of Russia, it is still unclear how reliable the "unity" mentioned by the G7 is. It’s hard to say for certain.
Regarding China-related issues, there are certain differences within the G7. G7 leaders, European Council President Michel and European Commission President von der Leyen jointly announced at the meeting that an infrastructure plan called the "Global Infrastructure Partnership" will be launched to strengthen world economy and supply chains to support developing countries.
It is worth noting that although China was not mentioned in the speech, the outside world generally concluded that the plan was designed for China's "One Belt, One Road" plan. The plan is led by the United States. Earlier, U.S. National Security Advisor Sullivan even stated that this is a grand plan that is enough to replace China and will become one of the symbols of the Biden administration's foreign policy.
It is understood that the "Global Infrastructure Partnership" plan will focus on important areas such as clean energy, health systems, communication technology and sustainable development, and plans to raise hundreds of billions of dollars in funds within five years.
Due to its large scale of funds, its financing channels are also relatively diverse, including government financing, donations, and private investment. Biden emphasized that this is not an aid or charity, but an investment that brings generous returns and benefits people in all countries. Von der Leyen added that the EU will raise US$300 billion in funds for the plan to confirm to developing countries that "they still have a choice."
The “choice” mentioned by von der Leyen is naturally aimed at the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. As far as the actual situation is concerned, due to the impact of the epidemic and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the EU economy is in chaos, and G7 countries are generally facing high inflation. This embarrassing situation is difficult to solve in a short time, and may even worsen. It seems unlikely that it will The program provides adequate financial support.
In addition, at last year's G7 summit, the Biden administration also launched a global infrastructure initiative called "Building a Better World." At that time, it was also regarded as targeting the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, but the result was nothing. Now, just a year later, the Biden administration is trying to lead a much larger plan, and its prospects are hard not to sound bad.
If the G7 is really determined to compete with China and help developing countries with infrastructure construction, it is essentially a positive thing. However, it will take some time to verify whether the so-called "Global Infrastructure Partnership" plan is to contain and suppress China, or whether it is using investment to erode the sovereignty of other countries.
Regarding the issue of how to deal with China, the divisive nature of the G7 is also reflected. Different from the United States' methods of containment and confrontation, Germany, as the rotating chair of the G7, advocates getting closer to China. According to relevant reports, the German government believes that in the face of the current world situation, a bloc confrontation between the West and China and Russia as the main body should not be formed. The close unity of BRICs countries has given the West a corresponding warning.
According to the " Wall Street Journal " report, a senior German official revealed that the G7 will also issue a statement criticizing China's economic behavior and clearly pointing out the challenges Beijing poses to the G7 countries. However, the official said that Germany favors diversification and opposes decoupling from China.
Germany’s view is undoubtedly more pertinent. Looking around the world, no international issue can be properly resolved without China.Unfortunately, Germany is not the leading force in the G7, and the situation in the West against China may not be corrected in the short term.
