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US takes subtle moves to rope in G7 allies against China
Zhang Hui Published: May 06, 2021 12:09 AM
Britain s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (R) welcomes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the G7 foreign ministers meeting in London on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
With China topping the agenda of the Group of Seven (G7) meeting as foreign ministers of member states have been urged to coordinate and form a common stance in addressing the challenges posed by China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rejected claims of a Cold War between the US and China, signaling that rather than making all-out efforts to form an anti-China choir, the Biden administration is making subtle moves to align its allies, Chinese experts said, noting that in return, EU officials mixed signals on the ratification of its most promising investment deal appear to be a gesture of echoing the alignment sentiment in the face of growing domestic pressure.
Members of the small delegation accompanying Jaishankar to the UK tested positive for Covid-19, forcing the minister to take his remaining schedule in London virtual as a "measure of abundant caution".
G7 needs China to unlock the global economy
On May 4, foreign ministers from the G7 nations met in London for face-to-face talks. The group is made up of the world’s so-called advanced economies – the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.
Prior to the gathering, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met his U.S. counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with both pushing a firm line on the need for a more unified approach. On China, Raab said the “door was open to better ties, but it depends on behavior and deeds.”
Blinken maintained that it was “not the U.S.’ purpose to contain China, or hold it down.” Here’s the strange thing in an even stranger American world. He also misused national security justifications to conceal more mundane and questionable motives by calling for a revitalized and broadened alliance of G7 nations to defend the rules-based order from perceived threats posed by China and Russia.