Editor's note: Xing Yajie, a special commentator for CGTN, is a lecturer at the School of International Relations under the University of International Business and Economics in China. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

As the 2026 Group of Seven (G7) Leaders' Summit opened in France, on June 15, it signals that host France is attempting to break through the bloc's traditional framework, expanding the scope of dialogue partners and topics to shift the focus from geopolitical competition to the global governance agenda.

Unlike the previous summits, which focused on the Ukraine crisis, the situation in the Middle East and competition with China, this year's theme is "Reducing Global Inequality." Developing countries such as South Korea, India, Brazil and Kenya are attending, while China participated in the video conference on "Global Convergence for Growth Summit" on June 11.  

This reflects the dual challenge faced by the G7: Rising internal coordination pressures and adjustment of the external power landscape. In recent years, the division among its member states on issues such as trade policy, industrial subsidies, energy transition and foreign strategy has continued to widen, eroding consensus.  

In contrast, the role of emerging economies and developing countries in global economic growth, development financing and international governance has become increasingly prominent. Inviting the Global South countries to participate is therefore a pragmatic choice by France to leverage external forces to alleviate internal conflicts within the group and enhance issue coordination capabilities. It is also an important attempt to adapt to changes in the global governance landscape and maintain the G7's own international influence.

French President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly emphasized the importance of multilateralism. Fifty years ago, the G7 was formed to address the global energy crisis and maintain Western hegemony. Subsequently, it released a series of joint communiques with significant consensus. However, neither the 2019 summit nor the 2025 summit issued a joint communique as G7 countries remain divided on how to address major geopolitical and economic challenges. This rift has become increasingly apparent as US President Donald Trump leans toward unilateral action on multiple issues, including international trade and conflicts in the Middle East.

Against this backdrop, France is striving to steer the G7 back toward its original 1975 mission of reducing global inequality, focusing on more universal international issues such as global economic governance, development financing and climate change. Key Global South countries such as India, Brazil and South Korea are not only major players in global manufacturing, energy markets and critical mineral supply chains, but also indispensable stakeholders in addressing the aforementioned issues.  

By inviting them, France is essentially seeking to broaden the foundation of shared interests and mitigate policy differences among member states by introducing external forces and diverse voices – all against a backdrop of weakening internal consensus within the G7 – in order to maintain the group's capacity for coordination and global influence.

Furthermore, the rising influence of the Global South is reshaping the international political and economic landscape. Adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law and establishing new platforms such as the "BRICS Digital Economy Partnership Framework," the Global South is emerging as a key force in reshaping the world order. In 2025, it was projected to achieve an overall economic growth rate of 4.2%, more than three times the average growth rate of the G7, continuing to contribute approximately 80% of global growth.  

On issues such as development financing, energy transition, food security and artificial intelligence governance, it would be a struggle to implement many initiatives without the participation of the Global South.

As the international influence of the group continues to rise, it has gradually become a target for the West to win over. Especially since the Ukraine crisis, Western countries regard winning its support as an important strategic goal. As it has become increasingly difficult for the G7 to dominate the international agenda as the "club" of a few developed countries, attracting and winning over the Global South not only helps enhance the summit's representativeness and legitimacy, but also boosts the G7's coordination capabilities and international influence as a platform for global governance.

However, France's move still has obvious limitations. Although the invited Global South countries can participate in discussions, the power to set the agenda and establish rules remains firmly in the hands of the G7. Therefore, this openness is essentially a form of limited inclusion, aimed at enhancing the G7's representativeness and legitimacy rather than restructuring the existing global governance system.  

In the long run, the rise of the influence of the Global South cannot rely solely on being invited to participate in discussions. It should therefore focus on promoting and consolidating the multilateral framework centered on the United Nations, improving the development cooperation ecosystem where North-South and South-South cooperation advance in tandem, fostering consensus on common development and providing institutional safeguards for achieving shared prosperity. Only by doing so can the voice of the South be truly strengthened, and a future of peace, security, prosperity and progress be jointly forged.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com. Follow @thouse_opinions on X to discover the latest commentaries in the CGTN Opinion Section.)