G7 foreign ministers’ meeting reveals deep divisions within the club

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Editor's Note: Yuan Sha is an assistant research fellow at the Department for American Studies, the China Institute of International Studies. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

The 2019 G7 foreign ministers' meeting wrapped up in Dinard, France. It is one of the 8 ministerial meetings across the year and a prelude to the G7 Biarritz summit for heads of government in late August. With the notable absence of U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and a tempered final joint statement, the unity and relevance of the G7 is cast into doubt.

Fighting inequality

Under President Emmanuel Macron, France is re-asserting itself on the world stage as a champion for global governance. The G7 presidency gives France a great opportunity to push for its preferred agenda on fighting inequality.

Inequality has become a salient problem in recent years, breeding widespread resentment and rising populism. Right-wing populism, in particular, has become a bane of the Western society by instigating discrimination on race, ethnicity, religion, gender as well as sexuality and giving rise to extremist violence, which is making inequality even worse.

With top diplomats from France, the UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan as well as the U.S., the meeting came up with a joint statement, calling for the fight against inequality and migrant trafficking.

The ironic thing is that the meeting dedicated to fighting inequality has drawn angry anti-inequality demonstrations. G7 summits are traditionally met with protests against capitalism which the seven richest countries stand for. This year is particularly sensitive given the raging Yellow Vest movement in France.

Protesters face riot police as they block the A10 motorway in Virsac, southwestern France in the "Yellow Vest" movement against high fuel prices, November 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

Divisions behind the facade

The elite club itself is also afflicted with deep divisions. The members did not reach agreement on such prominent issues as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Iran nuclear agreement, and the Venezuelan issue.

What is also notable is the absence of Pompeo for the second year in a row. His Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan is attending in his place.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also skipped the G7 interior ministers' meeting to tend to the developments along the U.S. southern border. Their absence reveals the U.S. skepticism toward the G7.

Suspicious of multilateralism, the U.S. is retreating from international organizations and agreements. Guided by economic protectionism, the U.S. is putting "America first" in trade and threatening to use tariffs on its allies. Feeling unfair in alliance burden sharing, the U.S. is urging its allies to pay more for its defense obligations.

Last year's G7 summit in Toronto ended in a public row between President Donald Trump and the other G6 countries. Trump even openly criticized the host Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and refused to sign the joint declaration.

How this year's summit will play out is still uncertain. Given Macron's different stance with Trump in security, trade and climate policies, France has already lowered expectations.

But the G7 is far from a "G6 vs. the United States." The other six members also differ in economic performance, security concerns and military capabilities. In addition, the drawn-out Brexit is putting a further strain on the relations between the UK and its European counterparts. The absence of British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the final group photo of the meeting is also telling.

An anti-Brexit protester shouts "stop Brexit" outside the Parliament in London, Britain, March 13, 2019. /VCG Photo‍

Is G7 still relevant?

After the 2007-2008 financial crisis, the prominence of the G7 is eclipsed following the rising influence of the G20. But proclaiming the irrelevance of the G7 is premature. The G7 member states still have the vested interest to hang together.

As an elite club of advanced economies, they have a shared interest in coordinate policies to maintain the Western-style economic order.

As treaty allies, they have obligations of common defense. Six of them have just reaffirmed their mutual defense days ago in Washington, DC in commemoration of the 70 years anniversary of NATO.

As "like-minded states," they have a shared interest in Western democratic values. This year's summit also made securing democracy a top agenda.

Despite differences, the members came up with a commitment to secure the "rules-based order," oppose armed conflicts in Libya, fight against cybercrime and safeguard democracy.

Right now, the G7 is coming under unprecedented challenges. But with the U.S. set to take over the presidency next year, the G7 might have a chance to stage a comeback.

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