Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Photographer: Simon Dawson / Bloomberg
Boris Johnson’s plan to host an extensive Group of Seven summit in June worries other members who fear the UK may be trying to reform the forum of affluent countries through the back door.
The British Prime Minister has invited South Korea, India and Australia as guests to this annual meeting as he tries to form a so-called D-10 coalition of democracies to counter China and other authoritarian states. Johnson wants to push for global action and democratic values, and wants to project the UK as a force for good after leaving the European Union.
Although it is standard practice for a G-7 host to invite more countries to the summit, the involvement of host countries is usually limited. According to a person familiar with Johnson’s plans, this year will change with the three countries participating from the outset, from preparatory meetings of the leaders’ diplomatic missionaries early next month to ministerial meetings before the summit.
Although diplomats are waiting to understand the full implications, there are concerns that Johnson’s D-10 is a step in the restructuring of the G-7.
One diplomat said a rival group could weaken the G-7, and it could eventually increase the pressure on the G-7 to regain its lost influence. Enlargement is an idea that Italy, Germany, France and Japan oppose, according to officials familiar with the views of governments.
China risk
Two European diplomats have also warned that there is a risk that anti-China rhetoric will fuel an uprising in the Cold War with Beijing, both of which have said the G-7 should avoid it after Donald Trump’s efforts to do the same to do away with.
One diplomat said there was doubt within the group as to whether a British idea put in place for domestic reasons would have endurance. The British government did not respond to a request for comment.
The issue of expanding the G-7 is at the heart of questions about the future of the forum and where members’ strategic interests lie, particularly in China.
This year’s summit is the chance to restore ties after years of fragmentation in the Trump era. The outgoing US president refused to sign the end of the summit in Canada in 2018, while last year’s meeting – which Trump was meant to host – never took place.
Johnson plans to put issues, including climate change – which Trump has so undermined – at the center of this annual summit, along with trade, health, press and religious freedoms and human rights.
Insurance
According to diplomats, the club’s other six members welcome the aspirations and also want to work together to recover from the pandemic.
The UK has also assured members that it does not intend to propose changes to the G-7 format and that it will remain different from the broader group of democracies, according to three diplomats who know the matter. This has not completely allayed the concerns of G-7 members.
One of the diplomats said there was no immediate prospect of expanding the group, but after the D-10 was institutionalized, it could compete with the G-7 for relevance. Another said the UK needed to consult closely with G-7 members on its plans for the D-10 coalition.
Another official said some of these concerns were shared, but that the full extent of the guests’ role was not clear, and that the three countries would not participate in all the preparatory work. The same official also pointed out that the expansion of the G-7 would require unanimity, which would soon make it unlikely.
Trump effect
The debate over the G-7 reform is not new and the idea of enlargement was driven by Trump last year. In addition to Australia, South Korea and India, he proposed re-inviting Russia, which was wiped out after the annexation of Crimea.
Elected President Joe Biden did not say where he stood on the issue, but he did. said he wants to convene a summit of democracies once he is in office.
Prominent voices on both sides of the Atlantic are still campaigning for the Group of Seven to open its doors to new members.
Tobias Ellwood, Chairman of the House of Commons’ Defense Committee, said this month, an extensive G-7, including Australia, India and South Korea, could begin addressing the downfall of global stability, democratic values and rule of law.
Sensitive
Johnson’s agenda has potential fixed points outside the debate on enlargement. South Korea’s participation is uncomfortable for Japan renewed tension due to his colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910-1945.
British and European diplomats also point to geopolitical differences. A British diplomat has said that it makes economic sense to leave ties with the countries in Asia and the Pacific, including those in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with ten members, with whom the UK wants to seek a partnership status , and who 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 the decoupling of the bloc’s trade policy, Britain has been more outspoken about China and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, the EU has faced criticism, including from the incoming Biden government, over the deal with Beijing. Officials in Brussels and some European capitals argue that trade should be kept separate from issues that can be dealt with by other instruments, such as sanctions.
Two European diplomats said the close focus on the Asia-Pacific region diverted areas of strategic importance to Europe, including Africa, and ignored regions such as Latin America.