The Group of Seven leading industrialized nations are expressing concern over what they said were China’s unfair business practices, according to a draft of a statement to be issued at the end of a summit being held in southern Italy. The G7 said they “recognize the importance of China in global trade” and said they were committed to “advancing free and fair trade, a level playing field, and balanced economic relations,” according to a draft of the final statement seen by the Associated Press. “We are not trying to harm China or thwart its economic development,” the statement said.
Quick Read
- G7 leaders focus on artificial intelligence, economic security, and migration on the summit’s final day.
- The summit, held in Italy’s Puglia region, covers topics such as financial support for Ukraine, the Gaza war, climate change, Iran, the Red Sea situation, gender equality, and China’s industrial policy.
- Disagreement over the wording of the summit’s final declaration emerged, particularly regarding the lack of a reference to abortion.
- Pope Francis addressed the summit, discussing the ethical implications of AI, warning against increased injustice between nations and social classes.
- G7 leaders committed to tackling harmful business practices by China and stressed the importance of protecting their businesses from unfair practices.
- The G7 warned of actions against Chinese financial institutions aiding Russia in obtaining weapons for the Ukraine war.
- The U.S. recently imposed sanctions on China-based firms supplying semiconductors to Russia.
- G7 leaders agreed on a $50 billion loan deal for Ukraine backed by interest from frozen Russian assets, signaling Western resolve.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the summit host, aimed to focus on Mediterranean and African issues, launching the “Energy for Growth in Africa” initiative.
- Meloni invited various global leaders, including the pope and heads of state from India and Jordan, to emphasize the G7’s inclusivity.
- There was a dispute over the inclusion of abortion in the final communique, with Italy refusing to include the term despite French pressure.
- The final text commits to promoting sexual and reproductive health rights without explicitly mentioning abortion.
- G7 leaders also discussed immigration, a key issue for Meloni, pushing for European support to curb illegal migration from Africa.
- Many leaders, including President Joe Biden, planned to leave Italy on Friday, with a final press conference from Meloni on Saturday.
- French President Emmanuel Macron expressed regret over the lack of an explicit reference to abortion, emphasizing France’s constitutional commitment to women’s right to abortion.
- Meloni denied rolling back abortion rights, although the center-left opposition warned her initiatives might undermine these rights.
- The final draft reiterates commitments from the Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué to universal access to quality health services for women, including comprehensive sexual and reproductive health rights.
- G7 leaders to launch AI action plan aimed at creating quality jobs and empowering workers.
- G7 leaders express concern over China’s unfair business practices, emphasizing free and fair trade and calling for China to refrain from export control measures on critical minerals.
- President Joe Biden and G7 leaders discuss policies from China affecting the global economy, with the U.S. announcing higher tariffs on critical manufacturing and mining sectors to counter China’s over-manufacturing.
- G7 leaders warn Iran to halt uranium enrichment and reiterate that Iran must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon, prepared to respond with significant measures if Iran transfers ballistic missiles to Russia.
The Associated Press has the story:
G7 Leaders confront China on commerce on the 2nd day of their summit in Italy
Newslooks- BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy, (AP)
Leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations turned their attention to artificial intelligence, economic security and migration on the second and final day of their summit Friday, as their delegations worked on a comprehensive joint communique touching on many of the world’s major geopolitical and social challenges.
The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region is also discussing other major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, Iran, the situation in the Red Sea, gender equality as well as China’s industrial policy and economic security.
Some divisions have emerged, however, notably over the wording of the summit’s final declaration, with disagreement over the lack of a reference to abortion.
The second day opened with a session on migration, with the leaders discussing ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys.
Pope Francis made an historic appearance at the Group of Seven summit on Friday to speak about the pros and cons of artificial intelligence, while G7 leaders also pledged to tackle what they said were harmful business practices by China.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the summit host, invited the pope and other heads of state and government, including the prime minister of India and the king of Jordan, in an effort to show the G7 was not an aloof, exclusive club.
“We will never accept the narrative that wants the ‘West against the rest’,” Meloni told the meeting on Friday.
The pope, arriving in a wheelchair and warmly greeted by leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden and a fellow Argentine, President Javier Milei, acknowledged the ambivalence surrounding AI, saying it could inspire excitement and broaden access to knowledge.
“Yet at the same time, it could bring with it a greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or between dominant and oppressed social classes,” the 87-year-old said.
The core G7 members, who also include Britain, France, Germany, Japan and Canada, had earlier focused on China’s economic power and what they regard as unbalanced markets in areas such as electric vehicles, steel and renewable energy.
Their draft summit statement, reviewed by Reuters, stressed the G7 was not trying to harm China or thwart its economic development but would “continue to take actions to protect our businesses from unfair practices, to level the playing field and remedy ongoing harm”.
The G7 also warned of action against Chinese financial institutions that helped Russia obtain weapons for its war against Ukraine.
The U.S. this week imposed fresh sanctions on China-based firms supplying semiconductors to Russia amid worries over Beijing’s increasingly aggressive stance against Taiwan and run-ins with the Philippines over rival maritime claims.
ABORTION WORDING ROW
During the first day of their meeting in southern Italy, the G7 nations agreed on a deal to provide $50 billion of loans for Ukraine backed by interest from frozen Russian assets – hailing the accord as a powerful signal of Western resolve.
In the draft, G7 leaders said they wanted to inflict further costs on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, and also promised sanctions against entities that helped Russia circumvent restrictions on its oil trading by transporting it fraudulently.
However, Meloni, who heads a right-wing government, ran into choppy waters over the handling of sensitive social issues in the statement summing up the work of the G7.
G7 leaders made no direct reference to abortion in their final communique, with Italy refusing to bow to French pressure to include the word. The draft also sparked accusations of watering down support for LGBTQ rights compared with the statement issued at the leaders’ previous meeting in Japan.
Italy said it was a diplomatic storm in a tea cup and argued that the G7 had not changed its stance on either issue.
Leaders also discussed immigration, a crucial issue for Meloni who is pushing Europe to help her curb illegal flows from Africa and who has launched a flagship plan to boost development in the continent to tackle the root cause of the departures.
Many of the leaders, including Biden, will leave Italy late on Friday, and Meloni said they had already agreed on the summit’s conclusions, to be approved at the end of the day.
On Saturday, there will be room for bilateral meetings for those staying on, ahead of a final press conference from Meloni.
But some cracks have appeared among the G7 leaders, notably French President Emmanuel Macron deploring a lack of a reference to abortion in the draft of the summit’s final document.
The statement after last year’s summit in Hiroshima, Japan, expressed a commitment to provide access to safe and legal abortion to women and girls, and pledged to defend gender equality and the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The word “abortion” was not in the draft of this year’s final communique seen by the AP, although a reference to promoting sexual and reproductive health rights was.
“It was not possible to reach agreement on these things in the room,” a senior EU official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to reveal details of the private discussions.
Asked on Thursday about reports that abortion would not be included in the final text, Macron said it was something he regretted. France “has included women’s right to abortion, the freedom of decision on one’s own body, into its Constitution,” he said, adding that France defends “this vision of equality between women and men.”
“It’s not a vision that’s shared across all the political spectrum,” Macron said, replying to a question from an Italian reporter. “I regret it, but I respect it because it was the sovereign choice of your people.”
Meloni, who campaigned on a “God, Family, Fatherland” motto, has denied she is rolling back rights to abortions, which have been legal in Italy since 1978. But the center-left opposition has warned that her initiatives are chipping away at those rights, including by giving pro-life groups access to women considering abortions.
The draft of this year’s text says the G7 “reiterate our commitments in the Hiroshima Leaders’ Communiqué to universal access to adequate, affordable, and quality health services for women, including comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.”
G7 leaders to launch AI action plan aimed at creating quality jobs, empower workers
BARI, Italy — Leaders from the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations say they’ll launch an action plan on the use of Artificial Intelligence in the workforce to help increase productivity, create “quality jobs and decent work” and to empower workers.
The G7 leaders said in a draft statement seen by the Associated Press that they will ask their labor ministers to develop the plan fully leveraging the potential of AI “to enable decent work and worker’s rights and full access to adequate reskilling and upskilling” while addressing “potential challenges and risks” to labour markets.
The draft, which will be released at the conclusion of the three-day summit, said the G7 encourage “adherence to international workers’ rights and labour standards at each stage of the AI supply chain.”
The leaders said they’ll work with developing countries and emerging communities to close digital divides including the gender digital divide and achieving digital inclusion. They also welcomed Italy’s decision to establish the AI Hub for Sustainable Development.
G7 leaders concerned over what they say are China’s unfair business practices
BARI, Italy — The Group of Seven leading industrialized nations are expressing concern over what they said were China’s unfair business practices, according to a draft of a statement to be issued at the end of a summit being held in southern Italy.
The G7 said they “recognize the importance of China in global trade” and said they were committed to “advancing free and fair trade, a level playing field, and balanced economic relations,” according to a draft of the final statement seen by the Associated Press.
“We are not trying to harm China or thwart its economic development,” the statement said.
But the seven nations expressed concern “about China’s persistent industrial targeting and comprehensive non-market policies and practices that are leading to global spillovers, market distortions and harmful overcapacity in a growing range of sectors.”
The seven called on China to “refrain from adopting export control measures, particularly on critical minerals, that could lead to significant global supply chain disruptions.” They also expressed “deep concern” over Beijing’s support to Russia, and called on China to press Moscow to halt its war in Ukraine.
Biden, fellow G7 leaders discuss policies from China affecting the global economy
BORGO EGNAZI, Italy — President Joe Biden and other Group of Seven leaders are discussing additional steps to address policies from China that they say affect the global economy.
In May, Biden announced higher tariffs on critical manufacturing and mining sectors, including steel and aluminum, semiconductors, electric vehicles, batteries, solar cells and certain critical minerals in an effort to counter over-manufacturing by China.
A senior Biden administration official says the U.S. president and the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Japan and Canada discussed the issue Friday during a private session at the annual Group of Seven summit, being held in southern Italy.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, says concerns about China’s practices aren’t just for the U.S. The official says China’s practices are affecting partners around the world, from advanced economies to developing countries and emerging markets.
Draft G7 statement warns Iran to halt uranium enrichment, repeats Tehran must not get nuke weapon
BARI, Italy — A draft statement says the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations are warning Iran to halt its uranium enrichment activities “that have no credible civilian justification.”
According to the draft seen Friday by the Associated Press, which will be issued at the end of the summit, the G7 “reiterate our determination that (Iran) must never develop or acquire a nuclear weapon.”
The G7 leaders also said they were prepared to “respond in a swift and coordinated matter, including with new and significant measures” if Tehran transferred ballistic missiles and related technology to Russia.
Doing so “would represent a substantive material escalation and a direct threat to European security,” the draft communique said.
The statement also said the G7 were prepared to adopt further sanctions if Iran did not “cease its malicious activities and destabilizing actions in the Middle East,” while also expressing “deep concern” over Iran’s human rights violations, particularly against women, girls and minorities.
“We call on Iran’s leadership to end all unjust and arbitrary detentions, including of dual and foreign citizens, and condemn the unacceptable harassment of its citizens,” the draft said.
