The Ukraine war, the climate crisis and dealing with China: the G7 summit in Japan is also about sending a signal of unity. What expectations does Germany have?
Building on the success of Elmau – that’s what the Chancellor wants from the follow-up summit in Hiroshima, a little self-praise can’t hurt. Olaf Scholz says he is proud that the Japanese G7 presidency wants to continue what was started in Elmau: to open up to the so-called global South. That is very helpful and correct.
Courting for countries of the “Global South”
According to Scholz, cooperation with the countries of the Global South is one of those right things. Indonesia, Brazil and India, which holds the G20 presidency, are partner countries in Hiroshima – emerging regional powers with great growth potential.
Scholz has been persistently trying for a long time to win these countries over to his side and that of the G7 when it comes to climate protection and support for Ukraine.
That should continue in Hiroshima, but not end, recommends SPD foreign policy expert Nils Schmid. This partnership on an equal footing will be needed more than ever in the years to come.
The Russian war against Ukraine, for example, is perceived very differently around the world. Little has been heard of a Russian condemnation in India or Brazil. You have to include these perspectives, even if you don’t share them and maintain direct exchange with the states, says the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group.
Scholz as moderator and mediator at G7?
The Chancellor will no longer be the host – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take on this role at this G7 summit. But Scholz can still moderate and mediate. Surprisingly, the proposal comes from the opposition, from CDU foreign affairs expert Johann Wadephul.
Given the fact that French President Emmanuel Macron supported centrifugal forces in the West during his recent visit to Beijing, it could be the German position and the Chancellor’s role to ensure more cohesion, Wadephul told dem ARD Capital Studio.
How to deal with China?
Dealing with China will be one of the crucial debates at the G7 summit in Japan – also because of the immediate vicinity. Japan has a lot of experience in dealing with China, says SPD politician Schmid, in resilience on trade issues, in reducing dependencies, i.e. in de-risking. One can learn a lot from Japan in this regard. The corona pandemic has shown how dangerous it is to be one-sidedly dependent on countries.
The FDP foreign policy expert Gyde Jensen recommended dealing realistically with China. At least the hardened fronts between China and the USA seem to be easing somewhat.
free trade or Protectionism?
When it comes to trade and free trade issues, however, there is likely to be crunching within the G7, since the USA in particular is undeterred in promoting protectionism in its own country.
FDP foreign politician Jensen is nevertheless optimistic that this summit will send a signal of unity, both internally and externally. Outwardly to states like China and Russia, to signal to them that the alliance of democracies in the world does not fit a sheet of paper, that certain things can be negotiated with each other.
Very valuable: the side conversations that you can have in private on site. This time not in front of the impressive mountain scenery of the Bavarian Alps, but at a historical location. That, too, is a sign to the world: that nuclear armament ultimately leads to death and destruction.