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Agence France-Presse

Joe Biden will make his presidential debut on the world stage on Friday as America’s G7 partners refocus their collective heft on pandemic recovery and climate change after the psychodramas of the Trump era.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, this year’s G7 chairman who hopes to host the grouping’s leaders in Britain in June, will use the virtual talks to urge the development of new vaccines in just 100 days.
That would represent a dramatic decrease on the 300-odd days that were needed to come up with jabs against the coronavirus – in itself a breakneck achievement.
Following the summit, Biden, Johnson and European Union leaders in the G7 will join another gathering online, the annual Munich Security Conference, to discuss “renewing transatlantic cooperation”.
Beijing hits back at Biden’s plans to put ‘China challenge’ on G7 agenda
Biden will become the first US president to address the Munich meeting, underlining a decisive shift after cooperation was all but broken under his go-it-alone predecessor Donald Trump.
Since taking office last month, the Democrat has recommitted the United States to climate action and the World Health Organization (WHO).
But he has maintained one Trumpian perspective – mistrust of China.
Beijing is not part of the G7 – which includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – and Washington is repositioning rich democracies as a counterweight to China amid mistrust of its initial handling of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, Britain wants the G7 to back a proposed pandemic treaty to enhance early warning and data transparency in case of future outbreaks.
London denies it has China in its sights, but the Asian power has been widely accused of covering up the emergence of the virus in late 2019 and depriving the WHO of vital early information.
Johnson will also use the G7 to push for the WHO and international scientists to work on the 100-day roll-outs plan for new vaccines and treatments.
“The development of viable coronavirus vaccines offers the tantalising prospect of a return to normality, but we must not rest on our laurels. As leaders of the G7 we must say today ‘never again’,” the prime minister said ahead of the summit.
Coronavirus variants add to Covax challenge of fair vaccine distribution
“By harnessing our collective ingenuity, we can ensure we have the vaccines, treatments and tests to be battle-ready for future health threats, as we beat Covid-19 and build back better together.”
Both Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron intend also to drum up G7 support to facilitate the roll-out of vaccines to poorer countries, especially in Africa, for instance by donating more money to the UN’s Covax programme.
“We must respond to this glaring inequality,” Macron said at a meeting with African leaders on Wednesday.


Now that inoculation campaigns are picking up speed, in the West at least, G7 leaders also hope to look past the pandemic to financial recovery after lockdowns ravaged many economies.
Biden, who shares Johnson’s sloganeering aim to “build back better”, will underline to G7 allies his intention to carve out a more inclusive economy that benefits “all workers”, including women and minorities.
“President Biden will also discuss (the) need to make investments to strengthen our collective competitiveness and the importance of updating global rules to tackle economic challenges such as those posed by China,” the White House said.
Why Biden must resist Trump’s tactic of using China as a bogeyman
Updated rules are also under debate among G7 finance ministers to harmonise taxation of cross-border digital giants such as Google and Facebook, which have enjoyed an excellent pandemic in terms of profits.
And the leaders will endorse recent declarations by their foreign ministers condemning the February 1 coup in Myanmar, which has provoked sanctions from the US, Britain and Canada.
Biden will in addition promote “a robust agenda of measures to address the global climate crisis”, as Britain prepares to host the UN’s next climate summit, COP26, in the Scottish city of Glasgow in November.
Prior to that, Johnson hopes to convene the first in-person G7 summit in nearly two years on June 11-13, at a picturesque resort in Cornwall, southwest England.
It will build towards a G20 gathering including Brazil, China, India and Russia in late October in Rome, just ahead of COP26, which is billed as the last chance for world leaders to avert runaway global warming.
Additional reporting by Reuters


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G7 meeting: Joe Biden making world stage debut with climate, China and Covid-19 recovery on agenda

US President Joe Biden. Photo: AFP

FILE - Aug.26 2019, file photo, from the left, Italian Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, U.S President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson attend a work session during the G7 summit at Casino in Biarritz, southwestern France. When Giuseppe Conte exited the premier’s office, palace employees warmly applauded in him appreciation. But that’s hardly likely to be Conte’s last hurrah in politics. Just a few hours after the handover-ceremony to transfer power to Mario Draghi, the former European Central Bank chief now tasked with leading Italy in the pandemic, Conte dashed off a thank-you note to citizens that sounded more like an ’’arrivederci″ (see you again) then a retreat from the political world he was unexpectedly propelled into in 2018. (Ian Langsdon, Pool via AP, File)

Beijing hits back at Joe Biden’s plans to put ‘China challenge’ on G7 agenda

G7 member flags on display ahead of a working session at the group’s last face-to-face meeting in April 2019. Photo: AFP

FILE PHOTO: Chinese and U.S. flags flutter near The Bund, before U.S. trade delegation meet their Chinese counterparts for talks in Shanghai, China July 30, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

(FILES) In this file photo taken on May 8, 2019, Turnisa Matsedik-Qira, of the Vancouver Uyghur Association, demonstrates against China's treatment of Uighurs while holding a photo of detained Canadians Michael Spavor (L) and Michael Kovrig outside a court appearance for Huawei Chief Financial Officer, Meng Wanzhou at the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver. - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on June 22, 2020 demanded that China free two Canadians who were charged with spying following a row involving all three nations. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP)

Coronavirus: Britain’s Boris Johnson to host virtual G7 meeting to push for global vaccine roll-out

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Photo: Reuters

Coronavirus: G7 finance chiefs highlight need to support pandemic-hit economies

A homeless person walks in front of a closed store at a shopping street in Frankfurt, Germany, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Britain’s G7 ‘democracy summit’ not an anti-China coalition with Joe Biden, says EU diplomat

US President Joe Biden has been making initial contact with allies and is expected to seek greater coordination in their approach to China. Photo: AP

EU Ambassador to China Nicolas Chapuis speaks at a news conference in Beijing, China January 17, 2020. REUTERS/Jason Lee

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G7 leaders, including Biden, to meet virtually
Leaders to talk about repairing world economy



Joe Biden will participate in his first meeting as US president with Group of Seven leaders on Friday.


Britain

Joe Biden

US-China relations

G7 meeting: Joe Biden making world stage debut with climate, China and Covid-19 recovery on agenda

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} G7 leaders, including Biden, to meet virtually Leaders to talk about repairing world economy

G7 leaders, including Biden, to meet virtually

Leaders to talk about repairing world economy