Seven-leader summit or one-man show?
US President Donald Trump is attending his first G7 summit since returning to the White House.
NHK World's Yamanaka Miyu is in Canada covering the big issues.
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KANANASKIS, Alberta (AP) -- When U.S. President Donald Trump last came to Canada for a Group of Seven summit, the enduring image was of him seated with his arms folded defiantly as then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel stared daggers at him. If there is a shared mission at this year's G7 summit, which begins Monday in Canada's Rocky Mountains, it is a desire to minimize any fireworks at a moment of combustible tensions. The 2018 summit ended with Trump assailing his Canadian hosts on social media as he departed on Air Force One, saying he had instructed the U.S. officials who remained in Quebec to oppose the G7 joint statement endorsed by the leaders of Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and, of course, Canada. "I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!" Trump posted on the site then known as Twitter. This time, Trump already has hit several dozen nations with severe tariffs that risk a global economic slowdown. There is little progress on settling the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and now a new and escalating conflict between Israel and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. Add to all of that the problems of climate change, immigration, drug trafficking, new technologies such as artificial intelligence and China's continued manufacturing superiority and chokehold on key supply chains. Asked if he planned to announce any trade agreements at the G7 as he left the White House on Sunday, Trump said: "We have our trade deals. All we have to do is send a letter, 'This is what you're going to have to pay.' But I think we'll have a few, few new trade deals." At stake might be the survival of the G7 itself at a time when the Trump administration has sent mixed signals about whether the president will attend the November Group of 20 summit in South Africa. What Trump opposed at the 2018 summit in Quebec wasn't just tariffs, but a focus on having alliances with a shared set of standards seeking to shape policies. "The big dispute in Quebec were the references to the rules-based international order and that's where that famous photo comes from," said Peter Boehm, Canada's counselor at the 2018 G7 summit in Quebec and a veteran of six G7 summits. "I think it gave everyone the idea that G7s were maybe not business as usual." The German, U.K., Japanese and Italian governments have each signaled a belief that a friendly relationship with Trump this year can reduce the likelihood of outbursts. "Well, I have got a good relationship with President Trump, and that's important," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday as he flew to Canada. The U.K. prime minister said he will have a one-on-one meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the summit to discuss finalizing a trade framework, though that does not appear in the White House schedule as an official meeting. There is no plan for a joint statement this year from the G7, a sign that the Trump administration sees no need to build a shared consensus with fellow democracies if it views such a statement as contrary to its goals of new tariffs, more fossil fuel production and a Europe that is less dependent on the U.S. military. "The Trump administration almost certainly believes that no deal is better than a bad deal," said Caitlin Welsh, a director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank who was part of Trump's team for the G7 in Trump's first term. The White House has stayed decidedly mum about its goals for the G7, which originated as a 1973 finance ministers' meeting to address the oil crisis and steadily evolved into a yearly summit that is meant to foster personal relationships among world leaders and address global problems. The G7 even briefly expanded to the G8 with Russia as a member, only for Russia to be expelled in 2014 after annexing Crimea and taking a foothold in Ukraine that preceded its aggressive 2022 invasion of that nation. Trump will have at least three scheduled bilateral meetings during the summit with other world leaders while in Canada, staring on Monday morning with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The U.S. president is also expected to have bilateral meetings with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to an administration official. The U.S. president has imposed 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos, all of which have disproportionately hit Japan. Trump is also charging a 10% tax on imports from most countries, though he could raise rates on July 9, after the 90-day negotiating period set by him would expire. The United Kingdom reached a trade framework with the U.S. that included quotas to protect against some tariffs, but the 10% baseline would remain as the Trump administration is banking on tariff revenues to help cover the cost of its income tax cuts. Canada and Mexico face separate tariffs of as much as 25% that Trump put into place under the auspices of stopping fentanyl smuggling, through some products are still protected under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed during Trump's first term. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said of trade talks that "there will be no solution at this summit, but we could perhaps come closer to a solution in small steps." The Trump administration has insisted that its broad tariffs will produce trade agreements that box out China, though it's unclear how antagonizing trade partners would make them want to strengthen their reliance on the U.S. Carney, the Canadian leader, has been outspoken in saying his country can no longer look to the U.S. as an enduring friend. That might leave Trump with the awkward task of wanting to keep his tariffs in place while also trying to convince other countries that they're better off siding with the U.S. than China. "Trump will try to coordinate the group against China's economic coercion," Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council, wrote in an analysis. "But the rest of the leaders may turn back to Trump and say that this kind of coordination, which is at the heart of why the G7 works, would be easier if he weren't imposing tariffs on his allies."
Kyodo News
4 hours ago
- Kyodo News
G7 leaders to begin 2 days of talks amid trade, Middle East tensions
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 20:03 | All, World The leaders of the Group of Seven democracies will begin two days of talks in Canada on Monday with the aim of restoring stability in the Middle East and Asia, while trying to hide divisions stemming from U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateralism. Trump's transactional approach to diplomacy and his confrontational trade actions, also targeted at G7 countries, have tested the 50-year-old group's ability to coordinate global economic policy and address threats to international peace and security. On the first day of their discussions in Kananaskis, a Canadian mountain resort near Calgary, the G7 leaders are scheduled to focus on the world economy, economic security including strengthening supply chains for critical minerals, and regional affairs. With the gathering coming just days after Israel's unprecedented strikes on Iran, which have killed top military commanders and damaged nuclear sites, the conflict between the Middle East foes is likely to top a packed agenda. As Israel, backed by the Trump administration, and Iran continue to exchange missile attacks, all eyes are on whether the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, as well as the European Union, will collectively urge Jerusalem and Tehran to de-escalate the conflict. During a session on regional affairs, the situation in the Indo-Pacific region will be a central topic, with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, the sole Asian leader in the informal forum, set to be a lead speaker, according to G7 officials. Stability in the region, where China has been stepping up military activity as it pushes its territorial claims, is likely to be one of the few issues on which Trump can easily align with the rest of the leaders. They are expected to reiterate the G7's past strong opposition to any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the East and South China seas by "force and coercion." Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who will chair the talks through Tuesday, is not expected to issue a detailed joint statement at the end of the summit, marking a departure from the group's usual practice, the officials have said. Reflecting on the difficulty of reaching a consensus on major global issues following the return of Trump and his "America First" agenda, the G7 leaders plan to release brief "action-oriented" statements instead. Since beginning his second, nonconsecutive term in January, Trump has upended the global economic order by imposing hefty tariffs on imports from almost all countries. Nearly a month ago, the G7 finance ministers and central bank governors, who gathered in nearby Banff to prepare for the leaders' meeting, refrained from mentioning Trump's tariff war in their joint statement and opted to showcase their unity in tackling common challenges such as global imbalances. The G7 summit will be the first major multilateral event attended by Trump during his second term. Carney, Ishiba, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also be attending for the first time. Carney has invited some leaders from outside the group, including Australia, India, South Korea and Ukraine, who will join their G7 counterparts on the second day of discussions. On Tuesday, there will be a session dedicated to Ukraine, with its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expected to call for a united front to halt Russia's war against his country. Related coverage: Japan, U.S. leaders' talks could take place Monday in Canada: source Japan PM Ishiba in Canada to attend G7, meet Trump over tariffs
