This year’s G7 summit should be of special interest to New Zealanders, not because of who was there and what was discussed — but who and what wasn’t.
The G7 itself includes, of course, Britain, the US, Canada and Japan. This year Australia was invited for the second time running. Another guest invitee for the second time running was India.
So four of the Five Eyes allies were represented, as were all four nations of the “Quad” informal alliance.
The dominating topic was not climate change, either, but a far more real and pressing concern: China.
Scott Morrison has won the support of the world’s biggest democracies and Australia’s wartime allies – the US and Britain – in pushing back against growing Chinese power and influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Of course, much of this support, especially from the EU, is platitudinous “moral support” rather than concrete action. Many nations are still timid of poking the dragon, especially keeping one eye on trade. But the increasingly unavoidable tension is whether trading with China is selling a nation’s soul.
Living with China, which is the goal, also requires us to be very clear about what our values are, what our principles are, how our countries are run. And how we will continue to run,” Mr Morrison told The Australian.
Speaking before flying into London on Sunday night, Mr Morrison said Australia was not alone in sharing similar experiences with China, “particularly those who are more familiar with the region, who have had greater engagement with the region”.
“There are European countries that have been through similar periods as Australia.”
Concerns over China are becoming more and more acute, especially for powerful nations like the US. In this respect, Australia’s trade and diplomatic battle with the communist giant is being seen as a test case for democratic nations.
Australia’s experience with standing up to China is being watched at the highest levels.
Mr Morrison’s G7-plus speech came after a historic meeting with Joe Biden and Boris Johnson on the sidelines of the summit in the Cornish resort of Carbis Bay where they spoke of escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific and the need to work closely in response to those threats[…]
Mr Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga – another key player in the region – shared breakfast and a beach walk together on the final day of the summit, discussing regional security and climate partnerships.
The Indo-Pacific step-up, Beijing’s economic coercion of countries including Australia, and increasing disinformation and cyber campaigns linked to China and Russia have been a key focus at the G7-plus leaders’ summit[…]
Mr Morrison, who confirmed climate change was not the subject of his discussions with Mr Biden and Mr Johnson, said Australia’s alliance with the US and UK “has never been stronger”.
At least one of the G7 nations is backing up its words with more concrete actions.
Mr Johnson has dramatically ramped-up Britain’s military presence in the Indo-Pacific, including sending a naval carrier strike group led by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on a 28-week maiden voyage, including movements through the South China Sea and Philippine Sea.
The Australian
But what should particularly interest Kiwis is who wasn’t there and what wasn’t on the agenda.
Despite the media’s obsession with Jacinda Ardern as “the world’s greatest leader”, Ardern has never been invited to any of the four G7 summits during her tenure. Ardern’s pet topic, climate change, was conspicuously off the agenda, while the issue on which she has been accused of being dangerously ambivalent, China, dominated.
Perhaps Jacinda Ardern isn’t as important as the glossy magazines would like us to believe. Taking endless selfies and mugging for photo-ops is one thing; leading, quite another.
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