Can we take a united response to the opening of the G7 summit with countermeasures against Corona and China?

The G7 Summit = Summit of the Seven Major Countries will begin in the United Kingdom on the night of the 11th of Japan time.

It will be held face-to-face for the first time in two years, and the focus will be on whether the G7 countries, which have been out of step during the tenure of President Trump of the United States, can come up with a united response through countermeasures against the new coronavirus and countermeasures against China.

In addition, Prime Minister Suga would like to gain the understanding of each country by explaining that he will thoroughly implement infection control measures at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

The G7 Summit will begin in Cornwall, southwest England, on the afternoon of the 11th and on the night of the 11th, Japan time.

It is the first time in two years that the leaders of each country will meet face-to-face.

The G7 countries were out of step during the tenure of former President Donald Trump, who advocated America First, but this time, President Biden, who will participate for the first time, will reunite with an attitude of emphasizing cooperation with countries that share values. I want to.

At the conference, the fair supply of vaccines to end the spread of the new coronavirus infection worldwide, the UN conference on global warming countermeasures to be held in the fall, and the challenges of climate change ahead of COP26, etc. Will be exchanged.

Of particular note is the response to China.

At a foreign ministers' meeting last month, the G7 expressed concern about China's supremacy and human rights issues, and the United States is now supporting China's giant economic zone "One Belt, One Road" with infrastructure support to developing countries. The concept will be jointly announced.

However, there is a temperature difference between each country with China, and the focus will be on whether we can come up with a united response as the G7 at this summit.

The G7 Summit will be held for three days until the 13th, and the outcome of the discussion will be summarized in the Leaders' Declaration.

Tokyo Olympics, Prime Minister Para Kan "I want to gain understanding"

For Prime Minister Suga, this will be the first face-to-face international conference since he took office in September last year.

At this summit, discussions will be held on the supply of the new coronavirus vaccine to the world and the response to China, which is strengthening its supremacy, and the focus will be on what kind of message to put out.

In addition, Prime Minister Suga said on the night of the 10th, before departure, about the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, "We will thoroughly implement infection control measures and realize a safe and secure tournament. I would like to explain this and gain understanding." ..

As Prime Minister Suga, I would like to explain the policy of realizing the Games through thorough infection control and border control measures, and gain the understanding of each country.

Aim of the presidency of the United Kingdom

For Prime Minister Johnson of the United Kingdom, the summit, which will be held for the first time after leaving the EU-European Union, will be an important opportunity to show its presence in the international community.

The summit held in France two years ago was a place for diplomatic debut as prime minister, but this time it will be questioned whether the G7 can be united or not as chairman.

"Prime Minister Johnson will show Britain's presence in the international community by inviting Australia, India and South Korea to strengthen their involvement in the Indo-Pacific," said Renata Dwan, deputy director of the Royal Institute for International Affairs in the United Kingdom. ".

He also said that the priority issues are to deal with climate change issues and pandemics such as the new coronavirus.

Regarding China, which will further strengthen its international influence in terms of economy and security, Deputy Director Dwan pointed out that it was the focus of the summit. It is also an economic partner for the country. Germany and France will not want to be forced to make a choice between the United States and China. "

For this reason, although there is free discussion on the issue of Taiwan in informal forums, the document released after the summit said that it would be a very careful expression about China.

Focus on building a supply network without China

At this G7 Summit, with China's growing presence in cutting-edge technologies such as semiconductors and scarce resources, which are becoming increasingly important in terms of security, how far can we build a supply chain = supply chain that does not depend on China? The focus will be on deepening cooperation.

China is taking the initiative in fostering industries in fields such as semiconductors, which are indispensable for many products such as smartphones and automobiles, rare earths, which are a rare resource, and storage batteries, which are the core of electric vehicles.

In response to this, the Biden administration in the United States plans to urge Congress to invest 5.5 trillion yen in national funds to support domestic production and research and development of semiconductors that are directly linked to security. Is revealed.

In addition, the EU-European Union has also set a goal of doubling semiconductor production in the region by 2030, and movements to reduce dependence on China are intensifying.

In light of these movements, the summit will focus on how far the seven major countries can deepen their cooperation in order to build a supply network that does not depend on China.

Climate change measures are also one of the main themes

At this G7 Summit, climate change countermeasures will be discussed as one of the main themes.

The G7 countries have agreed on a goal of zero greenhouse gas emissions as a whole by 2050, and at the Climate Change Summit in April, among the countries attending, towards 2030. There have been a series of moves to significantly raise the reduction target.

Under these circumstances, this summit will focus on what kind of message will be sent toward decarbonization of the entire world, keeping in mind China, which is the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

On the other hand, as some developing countries in Asia have no choice but to use low-cost coal-fired power generation for the time being toward a carbon-free society, the Japanese government has exported coal-fired power generation under stricter conditions. It is a policy to support.

Amid criticism from Europe and other countries about Japan's continued support, the G7 Climate and Environment Ministers' Meeting, which was held earlier, included an expression in the joint statement that allowed the response according to the circumstances of each country. Therefore, the Japanese government has gained a certain level of understanding, but if it is forced to take a stricter response at this summit, it will be in a difficult position.