G7 leaders turn attention to China with announcement of global version of Biden’s ‘build back better’ plan

It is a contrast to last year’s online summit when China did not feature in the communique at all. 

“The G7 ends today. We spent three days trying to align the positions of the world’s biggest democracies,” EU Council president Charles Michel said on the sidelines of the summit. 

“We see that liberal democracies and open societies face pressure from authoritarian regimes. This challenge has prompted us to join forces during the G7, not only to be able to respond under pressure or attack but also to spread our values of freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights,” Michel said without referring to China.

But Beijing appeared to stand firm as Washington used the summit to rally its allies to take on China.

“We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries,” the Chinese embassy in London said after the talks on Saturday. “The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone.

“There is only one set of rules for the world, that is, the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, not the so-called rules formulated by a small number of countries.”

Observers said Beijing’s defiant response was aimed at countries that were sceptical of the Biden administration’s China-focused strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Shi Yinhong, a US relations specialist at Beijing’s Renmin University, said the US plan was “not good news for China”.

“All of the stated goals of the B3W, described as a values-driven, transparent and sustainable infrastructure partnership, are obviously targeting China,” Shi said.

Shi said the infrastructure plan and Biden’s efforts to unite allies to confront China were the basis of the emerging Biden doctrine, which was essentially about winning the competition with China and showcasing the superiority of the democratic system.

“It could easily be turned into a key part of the US-led ideological struggle with China. It could be defined as a rather belated offensive to push back against China’s belt and road project, which has shown signs of retreat especially after the coronavirus crisis,” he said.

G7 leaders turn attention to China with announcement of global version of Biden’s ‘build back better’ plan

It was not immediately clear how the plan would work or how much capital it would ultimately allocate.

Underlining unease and tensions among US allies, especially those in Europe, about Biden’s desire to call out Beijing over human rights in the final summit communique, a senior US administration official sought to tone down the anti-China rhetoric.

“This is not just about confronting or taking on China. But until now we haven’t offered a positive alternative that reflects our values, our standards and our way of doing business,” Reuters reported the official as saying.

But European leaders, particularly French President Emmanuel Macron and the outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are wary of further antagonising China, considering their close trade ties with Beijing and China’s importance to the global climate fight.

Zhu Feng, an expert on US affairs at Nanjing University, said it was clear that many countries did not see eye to eye on Biden’s confrontational approach to China.

“Most countries have yet to find a solution to the still ravaging pandemic and they don’t necessarily agree to place China at the front and centre of the first G7 summit since Covid-19 broke out. It remains uncertain if Biden’s tough stance on China could garner sweeping support from its allies,” he said.

Pang Zhongying, an international affairs expert at the Ocean University of China, said the divisions between Washington and its allies should not be overstated.

“This year’s G7 summit is of particular importance to Western democracies because it is happening at a critical time when they have to work together to address the China challenge in the middle of an arduous campaign to seek economic recovery and overcome the coronavirus crisis,” he said.

Smiling G7 leaders kick off summit with focus on coronavirus, climate change and China

Pang said Beijing should refrain from jumping to hasty conclusions that everything at the summit was about containing China. “It is true that the US-led efforts will pose challenges to China, but it is equally important for Beijing to continue its efforts to improve ties with some of the US allies to avoid slipping into a new cold war,” Pang said.

Shi agreed, noting there was little sign of fundamental differences among Western countries over the need to deal with challenges from China.

He said remarks by Yang Jiechi, China’s most senior foreign policy official, during a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, set the tone for Beijing’s approach on the Biden doctrine.

“His message is clear that the country has no intention to adjust or alter its course of development chosen by the party, no matter what the US administration may do,” Shi said.