Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Boris Johnson’s plan to host an expanded Group of Seven summit in June worries some other members who fear the UK may try to reshape the forum of rich nations through the back door.
The British Prime Minister has invited South Korea, India and Australia as guests to this year’s meeting as he tries to establish a so-called coalition of D-10 democracies to counter China and other authoritarian states. Johnson wants to defend global action and democratic values and project the UK as a definitive force after leaving the European Union.
While it is standard practice for a G-7 host to invite more countries to the summit, the participation of invited countries is usually limited. According to a person familiar with Johnson’s plans, this will change this year with the three countries participating from the first phase, from the preparatory meetings of the diplomatic emissaries of the leaders at the beginning of next month to the ministerial meetings before the summit. .
While diplomats hope to understand the full implications, there is some concern that Johnson’s D-10 will be a step toward restructuring the G-7.
Rear door expansion
The British plan to host an expanded G-7 summit worries some members
Source: Bloomberg
One diplomat said a rival group runs the risk of weakening the G-7, and that it could eventually increase pressure on the G-7 to expand to regain its lost influence. Expansion is an idea opposed by Italy, Germany, France and Japan, according to officials familiar with the positions of these governments.
China’s risk
Two European diplomats also warned that there is a risk that anti-Chinese rhetoric will encourage a Cold War-style confrontation with Beijing, which they both said the G-7 should avoid after beating attempts of Donald Trump to do the same.
One diplomat said there would be doubts within the group as to whether an idea of the UK established for national reasons would have any power of permanence. The UK government did not respond to any requests for comment.
The issue of enlarging the G-7 focuses on questions about the future of the forum and where the strategic interests of members lie, especially in China.
This year’s summit is an opportunity to repair ties after years of splitting into the Trump era. The outgoing US president refused to sign the end-of-summit statement to Canada in 2018, while last year’s meeting, which was supposed to be Trump’s, never took place.
Johnson intends to place issues such as climate change (so undermined by Trump) at the center of this year’s summit, along with trade, health, religious and press freedoms, and human rights.
Quietness
According to diplomats, the other six members of the club embrace these aspirations and also want to cooperate in post-pandemic recovery.
The UK has also assured members that it has no plans to propose changes to the G-7 format and that it will remain different from the wider group of democracies, according to three diplomats familiar with the issue. This has not completely calmed the concerns of G-7 members.
One diplomat said that while there is no immediate prospect of expanding the group, once institutionalized, the D-10 could compete with the G-7 for relevance. Another said the UK should consult closely with G-7 members on its plans for the D-10 coalition.
Another official said some of these concerns are shared, but that the full degree of the role of guests is unclear, and that the three countries would not participate in all the preparatory work. The same official also noted that the expansion of the G-7 would require unanimity, so it would be unlikely soon.
Trump effects
The debate over the reformation of the G-7 is not new and the idea of expansion is floated by Trump last year. In addition to Australia, South Korea and India, he proposed re-inviting Russia, which was expelled after the annexation of Crimea.
President-elect Joe Biden has not indicated where he stands on this issue, but he has he said he wants to convene a democracy summit once in office.
Leading voices on both sides of the Atlantic continue to push for the Group of Seven to open its doors to new members.
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the House of Commons defense committee, dit this month, an expanded G-7 that includes Australia, India and South Korea “can begin to address and reverse the disappearance of global stability, democratic values and the rule of law.”
Sensitive
Johnson’s agenda has possible remaining points beyond the expansion debate. South Korea’s involvement is uncomfortable for Japan renewed tensions arising from his 1910-1945 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula.
European and UK diplomats also point to geopolitical differences. A British diplomat said that after leaving the EU, it made economic sense to improve ties with the nations of Asia and the Pacific, including those of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with ten members, with whom the UK is looking for a collaborative state and is also expected to be invited to the G-7 leaders ’summit.
It should also be seen in the context of a more robust approach towards China compared to that of the EU, the diplomat said. Since it broke away from the bloc’s trade policy, Britain has been more open to China and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the EU has faced criticism, including from the incoming Biden administration, for reaching a trade deal with Beijing. Officials in Brussels and some European capitals argue that trade should be kept separate from issues that can be addressed through other tools, such as sanctions.
Two European diplomats said the narrow focus on the Asia-Pacific region relegated areas of strategic interest to Europe, including Africa, and ignored regions such as Latin America.